Shopping in Akihabara
8th July 2007
I often hear that Akihabara is changing, that the “old” Akihabara was much more fun than the “new” boring one. No matter what, it is still the place to go for tech stuff. Everything is found here, from tiny shops that only sell vacuum tubes or miniature surveillance cameras to 10 floor department stores with nothing but appliances and electronics.
There is so much to see here that it just can’t all be covered in one visit. Whenever I go to Akihabara I always try to enter at least one building I haven’t been before. This way I slowly get to know the place. From having taken people here a few times I have developed a route that is a good start. Gets you an overall feel for the place.
You may assume that this route is too short, and that you want to see more. Please remember that Akihabara is a very busy place. There is noise, people and stuff everywhere and my visitors sometimes don’t have the energy even for this small tour. And they always want to have a long break at some point.
This is a six stop walk. Not very long if you only count the steps in the street, very long if you count all your steps inside the shops too.
1. The taxfree shops. A hand full of stores right outside the station. They sell goods specifically made for export. This is good for you because you get a manual in English, and an AC adaptor that will work in your own country. The name also states that they will help you getting your VAT refund. None of this is exclusive, some other shops offer the same services.
2. The market. Under the railway bridge you find an array of very small shops. The style is like a middle eastern market place. Usually one man operated shops that sell a very specific range of products. I think this is one on the more fun places in Akihabara. It’s like a world of its own in here.
3. LAOX Department Store. A typical Japanese store for electronics. First floor is usually cell phones and digital cameras. Second floor is TVs. Third is DVDs and VCRs. Forth computers. Fifth audio. Sixth Refrigerators and AC. You get the idea.
4. The Mac Store. The latest from Apple. Very clean and neat compared to all the other junk stores on this street.
5. The back streets. In this area all sorts of surplus is sold. Keyboards, hard drives, old remote controls, cheap blank DVDs and more. The stores are so overloaded that the products are often piled up outside in the street. This is almost a flee market with only electronics.
6. Yodobashi Camera Department Store. Probably the largest electronic store you have ever seen. Yodobashi have stores all around Tokyo but this is the flagship. This store is simple to large to browse through everything. If you have made up your mind to buy a pair of headphones, a memory card or a lens for your camera my advice is to go straight for it. Or chose two or three floors to check out more in detail. Come back for the rest another day.
There is a lot more to Akihabara than this. If you have an interest in Manga comics there is a whole range of special stores for that. Same if you want to build your own computer, or get that sound system for your car.
Akihabara is also known as the favourite hang out for the “otaku”, the Japanese nerd. “Maid Cafés” is where the otaku has his coffee. A café where the waitresses are dressed like a cartoon version of a french maid from a gone century. (Black skirt, white apron, lace). This is part of the “cosplay” (Costume Play) culture. Since things change fast here, the maid cafés have got some new competition. Now there are “Maid Hairdressers” where the otaku can get his hair cut. The latest thing I heard about was a café where the waitresses was dressed as catholic nuns.
OK, this was the first time visitors guide to Akihabara. I plan to follow up this post with “the connoisseurs guide to Akihabara” (or something like that). For that I need your help. What’s your favourite place in Akiba? What would you like to share from having been there?
How to get there: Take the JR Yamanote Line to Akihabara, one stop north of Tokyo Station. Exit Electric Town.
Technorati Tags: gadgets, Akihabara, electronics, taxfree, LAOX, Yodobashi, Manga
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