Akihabara, A.K.A Akihabara Denki-gai「Akihabara Electric Town, 秋葉原電気街」in Tokyo is famously known, as its name suggest, as a mecca for all electronic things. But over the years it’s evolved to become much more than that and is now the center for all things geek… video games, anime, manga (and of course, plenty of electronics).
Akihabara’s Gigo Sega Building in Tokyo
Gigo Sega Building, Akihabara, Tokyo
The Gigo Sega Building is a landmark of Akihabara and boasts 6 floors, a kind of historical walk through of arcade games – basically a massive old school arcade – including the first Pokemon arcade game ever, through to the latest virtual experiences.
Although Akihabara is famous for electronic and maid cafes, it generally represents geeky things in Japan. “Geek” or “nerd” in Japanese is otaku, and this area of Tokyo is hub for the otaku. Along with hundreds of electronic, manga and anime stores, the AKB48 Theatre is here. The famous 48-girl-group has regular events here, and many anime and manga special events and releases occur throughout the year.
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View this location – Map coordinates: 35.698,139.771.
It’s not all modern tech here, a short walk away is the Kanda-myojin Shrine, a perfect example of the way that the Japanese hold onto their ancient culture while embracing modern technology.
How to get to the Sega Gigo Building
Akihabara’s train station is easily accessible, and is a major hub of many train lines in Tokyo. The station is about halfway between Tokyo station and the Imperial Palace, and Ueno station and the Tokyo National Museum.
At Akihabara station, take the “Electric Town” exit to start exploring this icon of Tokyo.
