Akihabara. The place that all otaku need to visit at least once in their life time.
Now that I have involvements in the figure industry (and recently in media), my work is taking me more often to this holy land. Even if there is nothing in particular going on, I will take a few snaps from time to time and post them - it would be a kind of virtual visit for those outside of Japan.
Lets do a quick run around Akiba to see what was going on and what people were buying.
Akihabara
When you come out of the station through the "Electric Town" exit, you will be assaulted by a wave of otakuness. Maids handing out flyers (including men dressed as maids) and a ton of electronic shops.
Here is also where you will find Gamers ( mentioned in the Otaku Hunting post ). You can see it in the right of the photo.
Here is also where you will find Gamers ( mentioned in the Otaku Hunting post ). You can see it in the right of the photo.
Walk a bit more onto Chuo Road to see where all the action is.
When you walk into Chuo Road you will see a bridge overhead. Cross the road and walk straight on to find all the shops selling PC parts.
Chuo Road. In this particular block you will find Toranoana and a few other anime shops.
Taken at Ishimaru. Ton O idol DVDs.
Ishimaru. Ton O Idol photo books.
More Idol Magazines.
More "Junior Idols" photo books. I personally dont understand this but hey its Japan.
Haruhi fans can get ero Haruhi DVDs.
Wall O eroge at Sofmap (Chuo Road).
Wall O eroge posters.
As you walk from Akihabara station down Chuo Road, you will see these posters on the Sofmap wall. Sofmap also do electronics, second hand retro games etc.
Outside Sofmap. Otaku playing games.
This is the area I was talking about earlier where all the PC parts are. Kebabs also available.
Along the "PC parts" section of Akiba, you will find stalls selling absolute crap. You will also find a ton of illegal immigrants selling warez (does anybody still use that word? ^^;)
The worst thing is that they also sell DVDs full of pictures of dead people - people who have been in accidents with half of their face torn off. They parade these photos on the desk together with the DVDs. If you see a bunch of people crowding around a desk - be careful of what you take a peek at.
PC Parts section.
Poster for eroge Reconquista out next Friday.
Akibao is a place that sells a ton of taiwanese bits n bobs (mainly PC related).
Hector shopping for the latest eroge.
More more eroge!
Back to the Electric Town exit at the station.
And this is what Hector and I was in akiba for yesterday - just a teaser for what we saving to start your Monday morning with ^^;
Hector and I will do a simultaneous upload of our coverage at 9.30AM JST tomorrow morning so that we can "bring down the internet" as a spokes person at Microsoft said when they released their final beta version of Vista. Yeah whatever ^^;