Top 10 Stores In Akihabara
July 30, 2008
The first thing a true otaku geek will ask you after your trip to Japan is what you got at Akihabara, Tokyo’s famed electronic district. If you want to be not just hip but totally with it, you’ll respond with short form followed by downplaying the whole deal. Something like “Yeah, I checked out Akiba. They had some cool stuff but I think they survive on a lot of hype. Some of that junk I could find in the States for way less. I did however pick up this kick-ass glass CD.”
Now, at $800, you better be able to pull out that glass CD if you mention it.
Here’s the truth about Akiharaba: It’s overwhelming, especially if you can’t read Japanese and are disoriented anyway, and there’s a lot of megaphone barking outside the stores. Everything as priced is too expensive, but dickering is like a Japanese pastime. If you’re good at the game, you can get a good deal—until they pretend they don’t speak English anymore. Some say maps are useless in Akihabara and that’s no problem because the idea is to get lost in electronics heaven. But let’s get real. Most people have other things to do when they’re in Tokyo.
Here are the top ten stores to check out while you’re there. Browse, buy, move on to other things before you get sucked into the maze. And remember, if you’re not near your hotel, anything you buy, you’ll have to tote around Tokyo the rest of the day.
1. Yodobashi Camera. Just opened 2005. Turn east, look for the giant 9-story building devoted to nothing but electronics.
2. Super Potato. Just so you can say you’ve been there. The Japanese have a thing for weird potato pairings; there’s a grocery store called “I am Potato,” which is hilarious to any native English speaker. Lots of Nintendo and Sega, for the vintage game lover.
3. Laox. There are eleven stores just in Akiba under this ownership, each of them specializing in something different like computers, watches, cameras, etc. You likely want the Duty Free store. Asobit City is popular with gamers.
4. Akky. Three stores, specializing in bound-for-overseas electronics—in case you’d rather not have the Japanese version of Windows and Microsoft Office on your new PC (and you don’t, instead of paper clip, there’s a dolphin that squeaks at you!).
5. Yamada Denki-Labi. Right across from the train station, you can’t miss it. Computers and weird household accessories.
6. Sofmap. 16 stores, one of them has a duty free floor. If you can locate store number one, that’s the one with the duty free stuff.
7. Ishimaru Denki. Ten stores, some for electronic equipment, some for computers, some for music, movies, and games.
8. Media Land. Arguably the best video game store on Earth, according to the Otaku Genki Manual. Ten floors and ten dollars cheaper than rivals.
9. Book Off. First for a picture in front of yet another stupid English name, second for the second-hand junk found high above a sort of Starbucks. (Warning. Japanese coffee is usually awful. If you can find a Starbucks, love it, cherish it.)
10. Yellow Submarine. For obvious reasons, but also because the building it’s in—Kitazawa Building—has every repressed child’s sweet dreams inside. Robots, figurines, Manga and comics. Just keep climbing floors, you’ll see.