Photo courtesy of Whitcomberd, 123RF. Other photos by Luis Samayoa and Takahiro Takiguchi ()
With a visit to Tokyo’s Akihabara District, I was able to check off an item from my bucket list.
Akihabara, the center of anime and maid cafes. Every time I added anime tattoo to my body, I fantasized about going to Akihabara. I’d read so much about it and dreamt of heading into this fantasy land. My expectations were high but what I found was something I wasn’t expecting.
Getting there I hopped on a train early in the morning from Fussa Station, which is located near Yokota Air Base. To get to Akihabara, it took about an hour and 20 minutes, with two transfers aboard heavily crowded and cramped trains during rush hour.
For those who are claustrophobic, it may be a little difficult, but it’s a short ride. And for me, it’s more relaxing than driving a car into the heart of Tokyo and finding a parking spot. Taking a train is also cheaper when you add the cost of tolls and parking. I know the military trained us to be more alert and focused, but it is okay to relax and unwind.
Getting around on Japan’s transit systems might be difficult at first, but there are plenty of app options to help you find your way. I’ve had good and bad experiences with both Google Maps and Apple Maps, but another app, Japan Transit Planner, seems to be a better option, especially for a newcomer like me.
Chiyoda Ward Akihabara park Address: 1 Chome-18 Kanda Sakumacho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0025
First stop not as advertised As soon as I hopped off the train, I made my way to a park nearby that had caught my attention when I researched activities in the area. Chiyoda Ward Akihabara Park was not what the Internet had portrayed. Instead, it was more like a plaza without trees or grass. This was not a park at all, but a spot where people meet near the train station and where up-and-coming Japanese pop groups perform on the weekends.
Luckily, nearby were giant electronic stores and a lot of anime displays. But it was not the massive anime-world city that I had envisioned, rather it was a mix of a countryside Korean city and Los Angeles buildings with lots of anime cutouts and designs.
From old to new, Akihabara’s electronic shops have it all!
From watching anime and reading about Akihabara, I knew this was the go-to spot for electronics. Just outside of the train station’s Atre 1 exit is Yodobashi, a massive chain electronics store. Here they sell lots of new electronics and top-of-the-line components.
The front entrance has a row of gachapon machines where you can try your luck getting figurines, key chains and more for 300 to 500 yen each. Inside, there was a Super Mario kiosk which brought me nostalgia as I perused the Nintendo 64 games.
I lost focus the moment I stepped onto the third floor where Yodobashi stocks an obscene amount of camera equipment at low prices. This store has it all and is a great place for electronics shoppers and lovers.
If you’re on the hunt for something a little more vintage, Akihabara is also home to preowned markets. Check out Akihabara Radio Center, where it feels like you’re walking around a museum, but the stuff on display can be touched and bought.
I never imagined I’d ever see a Walkman or see-through Nintendo Gameboy for sale at a shop again. Radio Center has a plethora of used electronics, including CD players, radios, classic cameras and more. The nostalgia here is out of this world.
Yodobashi
Address: 1-1 Kanda Hanaokacho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0028 Hours: Monday-Sunday 09:30 to 22:00
Akihabara Radio Center
Address: 101-0021Chiyoda1-15-16 Sotokanda, Akihabara Radio Kaikan Shinhonkan Hours: Monday- Sunday 10:00-20:00
• I did not see many ATM’s available in the area. Convenience stores have ATMs, many with English menus.
Akihabara’s Electric Town simply electric
While you may think of anime or arcades when you think of Akihabara, the district is also known as Tokyo’s “Electric Town.” This is because here you’ll find hundreds of shops dedicated to electronics ranging from tiny one-man stalls specializing in niche electrical items like wires or light bulbs, to giant retail shops selling the latest in computers, televisions, cameras and more.
Electric Town sparked here back in the 1930s when a couple of retailers set up shop. But it wasn’t until after World War II when the current really picked up and black-market dealers brought their wares to Akihabara.
Today, you won’t find an illegal markets, but you will find plenty of second-hand, vintage and new electronics at great prices. I recommend shopping around for the best prices. There are many shops in Akihabara and, especially at the smaller mom-and-pop’s, you can bargain for a better deal.
My strolls in Akihabara usually start in Radio Kaikan behind the JR Akihabara Station, the landmark of the district. Radio Kaikan features more than 30 small stores selling electronics and anime-related collectibles.
At the start of each new year, teens often flock to the district for their “otoshidana” shopping. With New Year’s Day gifts in hand in the form of yen from parents and relatives, the teens flood the shops looking to spend their newfound money. I used to partake in this myself when I was that age. Whether it was a radio-controlled car, cassette recorder or the latest Walkman, I was sure to find it in Akihabara.
- Smoking areas In Japan, there are strict rules regarding smoking tobacco. Unlike in the States, you cannot simply light a cigarette while you’re walking around exploring a city in Japan. Instead, there are designated smoking areas outside or smoking rooms inside department stores and restaurants.
If you’re a smoker like me, you’ll want to make sure to follow these rules. If you don’t, you could be fined.
During my visit to Akihabara, I had a difficult time finding a place for a quick smoke break. Helpful tip: Police can help point you in the right direction. Whether you’re looking for a smoking area, or directions, it’s okay to ask for help.
- Train cards As of Aug. 2023, sales of Suica and Pasmo transportation cards have been suspended in Japan due to the semiconductor shortage. New here? Don’t fret! You can still get the Suica or Pasmo app on your phone for easy commuting. You can access the “card” through your iPhone or Android wallet and reload it with a credit card or at any train station that allows for touch loading.
It’s convenient and works faster than standing in line for the ticket booth that can feel complicated to some foreigners.
An unlucky place to turn your luck around
Akihabara’s hustle-and-bustling crowds and numerous lights can be a little distracting. But the district is also the center of many religious sites and traditional Japanese cuisine.
During the Edo Period (1603-1867), Akihabara was where many craftsmen, tradesmen and cooks settled due to its proximity to the city gate to Edo (old Tokyo). However, this area is to the northeast of Edo Castle, considered a “kimon,” or devil’s gate, which is bad luck according to Taoist theory. To ward off disasters and misfortunes, Edo Shoguns relocated various shrines and temples, such as Kanda Myojin and Yanagimori Shrine, to the area in an attempt to protect the samurai capital of Japan.
This district was also the center of education throughout the Edo Era since Yushima Seido, a Confucian temple and an important educational institution, was built by the Shogunate government in 1690.
Today, there are a lot of universities and institutes in the district, such as the University of Tokyo and Tokyo Medical and Dental University, retaining traces of its scholarly past.
As you walk through this busy district, it may be difficult to imagine that at one point it might have been unlucky. And, if you’re worried about the bad luck rubbing off on your electronics, you can always check out Kanda Myojin Shrine, which offers amulets for IT protection!
Where have all the arcades gone?
A lot has changed in Akihabara since I started visiting the district as a young boy. Twenty-five years ago, there was an uptick in tourists flocking to the tax-free chain retailers here to make large purchases known as “bakugai” to take back for resale in their countries. The increased traffic in the area drove me and many others out of the district for a while.
Then, of course, COVID-19 struck, but this time, along with the tourists disappearing, the face of the town also changed.
Back in 2019, walking out from the train station at Akihabara there were numerous video game arcades to greet me. Visitors could spend hours gaming at large arcades like Sega, Adores, Gigo and Taito Station. Enter one of them, and you’d found zombie-like folks, fixated on the screens blaring music and commands in the dimly lit man-made cavern. Whether they came with friends or by themselves, these gamers were alone in their own world, oblivious to their surroundings and focused only on the task at hand: playing a game. I remember the basic charge for playing a game was only 100 or 200 yen ($0.70-1.30).
Although a dying breed in the United States, arcades were still very alive and well in Akihabara before the pandemic.
Now, most of the large game arcades are gone, shuttered or converted into collectible card game centers where Pokémon collectors can trade in game battles. The arcades that do remain have been downsized and seem to barely draw a fraction of the gamers they once had.
Akihabara doesn’t feel the same without the arcades and crowds of youth playing Dance Dance Revolution or battling it out on Mario Kart with their friends. Maybe it was just a matter of time for the district to evolve past its video game persona, but now that tourists are back, maybe there’s hope arcades will return, too.
