Japan Travel Guide: Akihabara

Where: Tokyo, Akihabara station on the Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku JR lines
What to do: Thank God (as you understand Him/Her) for the gift of life
What not to do: Leave, ever

It was only a matter of time before I wrote something about the happiest place on earth, Tokyo’s Akihabara, AKA Electric Ladyland. In fact I tried to spin it as a feature for date week, since apparently one can find love even in Akihabara, but let’s be honest: being in Japan’s (and by extension the world’s) otaku and electronics capital is infinitely better than the highest raptures of earthly love.

If you have any interest in anime/manga culture or just love buying cheap (and cutting edge) electronics, Akihabara (Akiba for short) is certainly a place–perhaps the only place–you must see before you die. Highlights include the flagship stores of otaku-goods purveyors Gamers (pictured below) and Animate, the second-hand K-Books (be warned: items like CDs and DVDs are unusually expensive in Japan, and without a doubt K-Books is the place to shop) and electronics monolith Yodobashi Camera (pictured above).

There’s no denying that Akihabara is also a very weird place, but honestly, moreso than simply the chance to indulge in otaku culture, that’s what I love about it. Excepting perhaps Rio during carnivale and Rome when a new Pope is elected, it must be hard to find a place on earth that gives itself over so wholly to a spirit of non-commercial fun. It’s literally like being on another world.

There are of course other things to do in Akiba than shop: I went to a maid cafe, but got a bit weirded-out that my maid was wearing an allergy mask. It sort of brought home to me the absurd play-acting I was indulging in. But if that’s your thing, I say go for it. I should note that I did not patronize the place pictured below (text: Maid Massage):

I’m…getting a little misty-eyed, honestly. One of the happiest moments of my life was when I returned to Japan, got off the train at Ueno and immediately hopped the subway to Akiba and realized that, after all, it hadn’t been a dream.

Important Notice: Akiba is probably the only place in Japan I would encourage you to spend money. Please patronize these stores! Big developers are trying to buy up Akiba real estate and turn it into a trendy nightspot, but as the priest in Hayate The Combat Butler says: “This aint no place to take your date!”