Akihabara, or Akiba to its regular visitors, is a part of Tokyo that everyone should visit. It used to be known as the “Electric Town,” referring to the many stores selling home appliances and electronics, but in the 1990s became the symbolic center of otaku (geek, fan) culture. Nowhere else in the world is there a higher concentration of stores selling manga, anime and computer and console games. There is an emphasis on fan-favorite characters, which appear in advertisements on the sides of buildings, and take the form of goods and figurines. Fans also costume as their favorite characters, a practice known as “cosplay.” Though cosplay is no longer allowed on the streets of Akihabara, it is still thriving at events for anime fan culture held at sites all across Japan. If you want to see costuming, Akihabara’s theme cafes are second to none. There are many maid cafes, so many that you will see maids on the street passing out fliers for competing cafes. There are a variety of themes and non-sexual services in Akihabara, but the staff are always female, reflecting the historic dominance of male otaku. Ikebukuro is where female otaku hang out, and it has its own butler cafes. In addition to manga, anime and games, Akihabara is the home of Japan’s most popular girls group, AKB 48, who perform live daily. There are also performances by less famous groups at smaller venues. What connects them is the level of intensity among the fans. Even on the streets of Akihabara, there is a palpable energy. This is where the dreams and desires of Japan’s otaku generation come alive.
Text Patrick W. Galbraith
