Akihabara, Tokyo

Akihabara-or the electronic town in Tokyo! Those who want to check-out the electronics made in Japan shouldn't miss out this area.A whole long wide street are offered for your fancy! The place couldn't be finished by a day if you want to check it one by one! But mind you, it's also expensive buying products here. There's a Duty free shop in here though.

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If you're looking for a feel of modern, youthful Tokyo, you hardly can do better than Akihabara. This area of town also carries the moniker "Electric Town" and for good reason, as it is loaded with electronic stores, electronics hardware stores, computer game shops and outlets selling al sorts of software and video entertainment. The crowd on the sidewalks is thick, and almost entirely composed of twenty-somethings looking to add to their digital collections. There are lots of stores selling Japanese anime, as well as girls dressed up in anime costumes passing out advertising brochures. There's even an adult technology store, if you're into that kind of thing.

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from my old picture collections plus the Akihabara JR Station. Akihabara is centered around Akihabara Station, located on the JR Yamanote, Keihin-Tohoku, and Chuo Local lines. Just take the conveniently labeled "Akihabara Electric Town" exit to be dropped into the middle of the action and viola! on to the MAID CAFE'S for us heheheh but also to buy some electronic stuffs. Akihabara Station was opened in November 1890 as a freight terminal linked to Ueno Station station via tracks following the course of the modern day Yamanote Line. It was opened to passenger traffic in 1925 following the construction of the section of track linking Ueno with Shinbashi via Tokyo station and the completion of the Yamanote Line. Hundreds of electronics shops of various sizes can be found around Akihabara Station and along Chuo Dori (Chuo Avenue). They offer everything from the newest computers, cameras, televisions, mobile phones and home appliances to second-hand goods and electronic junk.

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I've been here in 1986 and now for a revist mainly to try the Maid Kissaten Cafe Craze in good old akiba but still this district was made famous due to the assorted electronics and high tech gadgets that you can buy here. Akihabara is a major world famous shopping area for electronic, computer, anime, and otaku goods, including new and used items. New items are mostly to be found on the main street, Chûôdôri, with many kinds of used items found in the back streets of Soto Kanda 3-chôme. First-hand parts for PC-building are readily available from a variety of stores. Tools, electrical parts, wires, microsized cameras and similar items are found in the cramped passageways of Soto Kanda 1-chôme (near the station). A few major stores, such as Ishimaru Denki, Sofmap and Laox operate multiple branch stores mainly along the main roads, while many smaller shops can be found in the narrow side streets.

Note that some of the electronic appliances on sale are only suited for use in Japan due to voltage and other technical differences and limited warranty. However, several stores also feature a selection of products for overseas use and offer duty free shopping to foreign tourists on purchases of over 10,000 Yen (passport required). I bought a 16 gigabyte Sony Memory stick for only 8,500 yen and my friend bought a 16 gig sd card at only 5,000 yen (caveat, they offer no international foreign warranties on most items so you buy at your own risk).

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Akihabara is the electronics district and has hundreds of shops for electronics, pachinko parlours, collector shops and Maid Cafes. You can spend hours here wandering through the shops. Unless you are looking for something in particular, I would suggest having a quick look around and moving on.

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Akihabara is the famous "electric street" where you'll find all things electronic. It is also affectionately known as "akiba" by the Japanese.

There are personal gadgets such as digital cameras, IPODS, video cameras, handphones, PCs, notebooks and more. You'll also find parts for digital cameras, wires for computers, & used cameras and camera parts. General electrical household items may also be found here.

Big names here are LAOX which features a multi-storey shop selling all kinds of electrical and electronic items. You can handle & test the digital cameras & digital Video cameras out. I tried quite a few out myself. The default setting was in Japanese, but you can try to ask for the staff to change the language setting to Chinese (Mandarin or simplified Chinese) or English or other languages.

The time I was there, a bunch of ladies in Anime costume were on hand just outside the JR station handing out flyers.

*Update* (2009): I've found a very useful website which tells you how to plan 1/2 day visit of Akihabara and Ueno. Please click on the link below to have a look at the map.

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As soon as we came out from the Akihabara train station, the first I noticed was the large crowd. Colourful buildings billboard showing advertisement mainly in Japanese; I assume the ads is for electronics product.

On the day the weather was uncomfortable, it was drizzling. I am not madly keen in electronics but I must admit Akihabara got me excited. There were electronic products I’ve never seen before in Australia, talking robotic toys on display, latest video and digital camera, plasma and LCD television, computers, games, electronic toilet seats and so on.

As we walk around the blocks every now and then you’ll see a see people on the street dressed as popular Japanese animation hero characters, people trying to lure you to their shops. We also noticed all of the shops we visited the staffs all spoke English and other foreign language. You’ll also find larger store along Chuo Dori Avenue and there are many mega store. We saw a few of the popular waitresses dressed in maid costumes and shops you would find in red light district, hmm I wonder what electronic gadget they sell.

The competition is fierce between shops at Akihabara, but I found for the same product it is cheaper in Australia.

Even though we are not into electronic we have visited and experienced the largest electronics town in the world.

The main appeal of this area is the largest temple in Tokyo. Surrounded by quaint tourist filled streets, the temple has a huge gateway enterance, and 5 storie pagoda. Sadly, the temple was covered in scaffolding when I visited but the area still had great appeal.