Bookmark
Akihabara AKA the Holy Land of Anime, Manga, Games, and Tech
Akihabara also known as Akihabara Electric Town (Akihabara Denki Gai), and Akiba. No matter what you call this place there is one thing that remains unchanged. That is the wondrous and amazing atmosphere and content provided in this holy land known as Akihabara.
Akihabara is all about shopping and living in the moment. Akihabara is perhaps the worlds greatest temple of "Arcade Gaming," though granted that throughout Japan (Tokyo especially) there are loads of arcades, nothing can compare to that of Akiba. The huge towers of Sega, Taito cannot be missed when in the streets but there are also places like "Hey Arcade" which has floors upon floors of arcade gaming, ranging from classic shooting games to fighting (Like Tekken).
Now if gaming isn't your thing, there is something unique to Japan which Akihabara is sprawling with, that is the "Maid Cafe" whether you have the fetish for cute outfits or a dream of having a cute maid, maid cafes are the place for you. Even if you have none of those desires, the maid cafe still provides a unique experience that everyone should try at least once. In these cafes the maids greet you as you enter and treat you as if you were the master of the house. There are fun games you can play, and some maid cafes even have events such as the maids singing karaoke.
As I mentioned; Akihabara is mainly a shopping district. Sprawling from every direction from the main street are even more smaller streets, within each street there are plenty of electronic stores. Every Sunday afternoon, the main street is closed off to vehicle traffic and the area becomes much similar to a flea market. People would set up stands on the street to sell of their goods. Surprisingly on Sundays during these times a lot more performances occur, therefore a Sunday afternoon is a great time to be in Akihabara.
If you are buying goods, on the main street are the larger (more corporate like) stores filled with goods that can make the little Otaku voice in you scream in happiness. Keep in mind though as you venture further from the main street into smaller more privately owned stores, you may find more unique items as well as cheaper prices (Be warned though, the further you venture the less foreign friendly it becomes, so make sure you know your Japanese or you might just be lost). Besides electronics, Akihabara also has a great number of specialty hobbyist stores, ranging from anime and manga to collectible toys to military and railway fandom.
It is needless to say that for any Otaku well anyone in general, Akihabara is a place that everyone should experience. Endless items can be found for all your niches, not to mention the interesting Maid Cafes to fulfill your desires of being a so called master. Don't forget theres some good snacks you can find on the streets and stores and if you are going to spend a night or two in Akihabara, you may want to try out the capsule hotels that are nearby (Cheap and Interesting). See you in the Holy Land.