Last week i came up with the idea to visit all 29 stops on the JR Yamanote Line. After a false start with a flat battery in my Canon Camera this week i returned to Akihabara, the first pitstop on the Amazing Race, well not so amazing and not a race at all, just a massive fan of the show so i couldn’t resist throwing a reference in.
On the weekends in Akihabara the main drag is closed to traffic and the streets swell with interesting sights, sounds and smells.
As a Gaijin in Japan, Akihabara is the place to go for English versions of Software, it’s also the place anyone with the slightest interest in Anime and Cosplay. Although i’m sure there are many other facets to Akihabara, it’s best known for it’s vast Electric Town. I’m not going to uncover massive amounts of traditional culture in Akihabara, that’s not what most people are looking for when they come here and it’s not what they get.
Akihabara (秋葉原) (“Field of Autumn Leaves”), also known as Akihabara Electric Town (秋葉原電気街 Akihabara Denki Gai) Its name is frequently shortened to Akiba in Japan. While there is an official locality named Akihabara nearby, part of Taitō-ku, the area known to most people as Akihabara (including the railway station of the same name) is actually Soto-Kanda, a part of Chiyoda-ku.
Shops selling electronic goods are in an abundance and naturally with a name like Electronic Town they make up the bulk of the shops. Most are large scale shops occupying many floors if not whole building.
Then there’s the medium size guy, a bit further out from the station and pusing that bit harder to sell his wares.
Then there’s this guy that seriously must fight for every sale he gets, there’s no bells and whistles here, and it would be safe to say the refund and warranty policies are non existant.
In between the countless electronic shops are a vast range of eating places selling anything your taste buds could fancy.
Some Indian if your a little peckish.
Then finish off with some Dragon Ice, whatever that is.
Another attraction for many in Akihabara is the Maid Cafes, here a young lass in costume hands out flyers encouraging, generally men, into her cafe, where after any up from an hours wait, you can be served over priced coffee and cake from your very own maid.
Anime makes up a decent percentage of the shops and general interest from those that visit Akihabara. Here’s on of many Anime shops showing a “Demonstretion” on the TV at their shop front.
There’s no fear of being starved of colour when you visit Akihabara.
The UFO catchers are big in Japan and Akihabara has their fair share. From UFO catchers where you have the chance of winning a ~250 Yen bowl of ramen or curry for 200 Yen for 1 go or 500 Yen for 3 … i’d prefer to cut out the middle man and go straight to the Konbini Store.
The imminent Cherry Blossom Season isn’t lost on the UFO catcher proprieters either.
Akihabara also has it’s fair share of scruffy shops, generally revolved around buying the DVD’s of local Idols.
Or possibly picking up a cheeky uniform of your very own for either you or a loved one.
SEGA feature every where you turn, as do many other popular brand names within this space.
Fancy a break from all that walking, stop in for a little Pachinko a favourite for many in Japan.
Seeing as you can’t win cash from a Pachinko parlour, instead you win ‘prizes’, it’s lucky there’s a shop close by, generally at the back of the said Pachinko parlour, where the kind man will exchange the ‘prizes’ for some cashola.
The back streets are as busy as the main drag, this guys earning a little extra as a human bill board, an every increasing sight in Tokyo.
As cold as it was today, Akihabara still managed to bring out it’s fair share of eccentric types.
One of the biggest draw cards by far for Akihabara is the girls, although other punters in Cosyplay get their fair share of attention, it’s the girls that draw the crowds of guys ready to take a few photographs. I say this girl earlier in the day when there were fewer punters about.
A few hours later it was a little tougher to get her for a photo.
Next stop on the JR Yamanote Line is Ebisu.
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great shots Neil…I feel like i am there!
Great shots indeed…They give me a good picture of the area as a new gaijin in Tokyo.
Great series you are starting up. Really is an interesting read. Hope you get to all 29 stops!
When you get to Meguro, let me know. I’ll point you in the direction of one of the cheapest, nicest, low-budget yakiniku restaurants around.
Cheers!
Yakiniku, i’m there!
wow nice photos neil!
I think i got an overdose of akihabara ^^;
Anyway i managed to drop by at akiba everytime i went to tokyo LOL.
I’m looking forward to your ebisu photos!
jya ne
You do a great job of capturing the true representation of the people and the places you visit. Fantastic pics.
I’m glad you like them.
I’ve been to Akihabara before and loved it. It’s interesting to see it through the lens of another person. Thanks for the walk-through!
Looking forward to more of your posts.
This is a great idea Neil! Looking forward to seeing more!
I’m happy it’s going to force me to visit places i probably ordinarily wouldn’t if i had no specific reason. Taking into account weekends with plans, holidays etc i think i should be done by the end of the year, that’s the goal anyway.
The chicken man grab my attention and then the girl!
I think the action photo with all the cameras around the girl says a lot about what goes on in mind of a true otaku…
You’re lucky you understand some of the language
-Mike
Great pics!
What a place, I like their culture and way of life.
I’ve been to a lot of places aroun the world, but only in the Western part. Next time I get a chance to travel I will opt for Japan.
sometimes I think, that in Japan everything is different and interesting – a kind of another planet…probably I am wrong- never been there:)
This is a very entertaining blog. Well-written and clever. You are now on my favorite list.
This will be a great series Neil. I would like to do something like this myself. Any excuse to ride the train and visit different places is something I would enjoy.
My husband and I just returned from 2 weeks in Tokyo (we were in Tokyo and Kyoto for a few weeks in August 2006 as well). He loves Akihabara for all of the model shops and I love Yodabashi Camera. I look forward to the rest of your series – the Yamanote line is my favorite train line! I am so depressed that we don’t live in Tokyo!
You should check out the parasite museum in Meguro!
Will check it out Lisa. You’ve just reminded me to ‘alphabetize’ the 29 stops so i can keep a track of what’s next and also add tips like this next to them. Thanks!
I think that it is a good photograph
I have been to Akihabara
I am interesting and can enjoy it
But there is the slightly shameful place as a Japanese
In order to get to central Tokyo the most east way for me is to take the TX line to Akiba. I see Akiba a lot. I really like Akiba. There is no other place like it in Tokyo. I hope it never changes despite recent problems. The UFO catchers are lots of fun, the maids are part of Akiba`s charm, and everybody likes to see the girls all dressed up.
Hey, great article
Didn’t notice you had one on Akihabara before.
However, I thought I would defend the maid cafe patrons by saying that you don’t have to have to obsessed enough to go when there is a over an hours wait. In fact, both the time’s I’ve gone (Taking curious Friends around is my excuse) there was barely any wait at all. The first place being the very popular @Home Cafe in the Don Qihote building was only about 10 minutes, and the second place (Maidreamin or something), which also served alcohol, didn’t have any wait at all.
I am so glad that soon i will be a short train ride away on the Tsukuba express to all the cool electronics. I’ll be like a kid in a candy store.