The district is girdled by hundreds of stores of various sizes: some just like a niche on the wall, others to several stories of glittering stores, offering almost everything from the latest computers, televisions, mobile phones, cameras, DVDs, watches, to other electronic or electrical device that you can think of. Used items and electronic junks can also be bought here at very reasonable prices. Visit the place, and you will gawk at big stores like Yamagiwa, Ishimaru Denki, Akky, Sato Musen, Sofmap and Laox sprawled along the main road. Go a little farther, and you can catch sight of more electronic shops pounded in a small crowded area.
Akihabara's character continues to evolve through the years in the emergence of Japanese animation culture as stores offering games, anime, manga and otaku goods proliferate in the vicinity; thus making it the "Gamer's Mecca". There you can find the gigantic towers of Sega, Taito and Hey Arcade dedicated to classic arcade gaming which the young ones can't afford to resist. Other animation related establishments have also appeared in the district like comics cafes where customers can read comics, watch DVDs and surf the internet. 
Besides all these, Akihabara also embodies the otaku culture, said to be one aspect of the people who hang out here these days. Most of these folks are too obsessed with anime and manga which make them outsiders from the other strata of Japanese society. Akiba is their place of refuge that gives them the chance to meet others with whom they share common interests. Akihabara is all about shopping but there are also quite a number of fast food chains and coffee shops for your appetite cravings or when you get tired or bored with going around or window shopping. Its newest attraction is maid cafes, where pretty
waitresses are dressed-up like French maids, ready to serve you. In this day and age, Akihabara is indeed a popular destination for the locals, as well as the foreign tourists who want to get the best buys and good value for their money and a distinct "tekky" atmosphere.
How to Get There:
Akihabara Station is less than five minutes by rail from Tokyo Station and is served by JR East (Yamanote Line, Keihin-Tohoku Line and Chuo-Sobu Line), Tokyo Metro (Hibiya Line) and Tsukuba Express. Suehirocho Station on the Ginza Line subway and Iwamotocho Station on the Toei Shinjuku Line subway are also within walking distance from Akihabara.
*published in the December 2007 issue of "Let's Tour Tokyo", Philippine Digest*
*photos by Florenda Corpuz*
