Tokyo Essentials
  • Home
  • Area Guide
    • SHINJUKU
      • Shinjuku Bars
      • Shinjuku Docomo Tower
    • SHIBUYA
      • Hachiko
    • ASAKUSA
    • HARAJUKU
      • Yoyogi Park (Koen)
      • Omotesando Hills
      • Prada Building Tokyo
      • Cosplay
    • ROPPONGI
      • Zojoji Temple
      • Roppongi Bars
    • ODAIBA
      • Odaiba Onsen
      • Rainbow Bridge
    • EBISU
      • Ebisu Bars
    • KANDA
    • GINZA
    • UENO
      • Scai Bath House Art Space
    • AKIHABARA
    • IKEBUKURO
    • TSUKIJI
  • ARTICLES
  • FOOD
    • Monja-yaki Boat
    • Vegetarian Restaurants
    • Tokyo Bars
    • Tokyo Nightclubs
    • Beer Gardens
  • Attractions
    • Amusement Parks in Tokyo
    • Shopping Guide
    • Tokyo Tower
    • Imperial Palace
    • Fireworks
    • Museums
      • Edo Tokyo Museum
      • Tokyo National Museum
      • Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
      • National Museum of Western Art
      • Earthquake Museum
      • Fukugawa Edo Museum
      • National Science Museum
      • Museum of Photography
      • Kite Museum
      • National Art Center
      • Small Museums
  • Japan Travel Guidebooks
  • INFO
    • Arriving in Tokyo
    • Entertainment
    • Getting Around Tokyo
    • Tokyo With Kids
    • Quirky Tokyo
    • Tokyo History
    • Cherry Blossoms
    • Tokyo Maps
    • Tokyo for Free
    • Japanese Language
    • Weather
    • Tokyo FAQs
  • MAPS
    • Map of Shinjuku
    • Map of Shibuya
    • Map of Asakusa
    • Map of Roppongi
    • Map of Ueno
    • Map of Ikebukuro
  • HOTELS
  • About
    • Advertise
    • Contact

Tokyo Essentials

Your Complete Online Guide To Tokyo

  • Home
  • Area Guide
    • SHINJUKU
      • Shinjuku Bars
      • Shinjuku Docomo Tower
    • SHIBUYA
      • Hachiko
    • ASAKUSA
    • HARAJUKU
      • Yoyogi Park (Koen)
      • Omotesando Hills
      • Prada Building Tokyo
      • Cosplay
    • ROPPONGI
      • Zojoji Temple
      • Roppongi Bars
    • ODAIBA
      • Odaiba Onsen
      • Rainbow Bridge
    • EBISU
      • Ebisu Bars
    • KANDA
    • GINZA
    • UENO
      • Scai Bath House Art Space
    • AKIHABARA
    • IKEBUKURO
    • TSUKIJI
  • ARTICLES
  • FOOD
    • Monja-yaki Boat
    • Vegetarian Restaurants
    • Tokyo Bars
    • Tokyo Nightclubs
    • Beer Gardens
  • Attractions
    • Amusement Parks in Tokyo
    • Shopping Guide
    • Tokyo Tower
    • Imperial Palace
    • Fireworks
    • Museums
      • Edo Tokyo Museum
      • Tokyo National Museum
      • Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
      • National Museum of Western Art
      • Earthquake Museum
      • Fukugawa Edo Museum
      • National Science Museum
      • Museum of Photography
      • Kite Museum
      • National Art Center
      • Small Museums
  • Japan Travel Guidebooks
  • INFO
    • Arriving in Tokyo
    • Entertainment
    • Getting Around Tokyo
    • Tokyo With Kids
    • Quirky Tokyo
    • Tokyo History
    • Cherry Blossoms
    • Tokyo Maps
    • Tokyo for Free
    • Japanese Language
    • Weather
    • Tokyo FAQs
  • MAPS
    • Map of Shinjuku
    • Map of Shibuya
    • Map of Asakusa
    • Map of Roppongi
    • Map of Ueno
    • Map of Ikebukuro
  • HOTELS
  • About
    • Advertise
    • Contact
Akihabara

Akihabara

by Michael July 21, 2013
written by Michael July 21, 2013
Akihabara

In the Meiji Era (1868 to 1912), Akihabara specialized in domestic goods and accessories, in the inter-war years it was bicycles, but now, it’s gadgets galore – from the latest most useful to the latest most useless – Akihabara is the electronics capital of Japan.

Electronic retailing began in Akihabara just after World War II when a large demand for radios spurred the growth of a black market. At that time, the main customers were students. They found that by building and selling radios they could make a lot of money. Today the market occupies the alleyways close to JR Akihabara Station. (“Electric Town” Exit).

Akihabara electronics Tokyo

Electronics Town – Akihabara

The larger shops are located along Chuo Dori Avenue. With a good range of export models and some English speaking staff, for computers head for T-Zone. For general items try Laox or Ishimaru (which, by the way, does a very good line in electronically sophisticated toilet seats). To check the voltage requirements for your home country check this Wikipedia page.

Competition is fierce between the shops and prices can vary quite substantially. A good website to check prices on is kakaku.com, although the site is all in Japanese. Many of the shops listed on kakaku.com are located in Akihabara.

Maid Coffe Shops

Maid Kissa are a new phenomenon in Tokyo. “Kissa” is short for “kisaten” in Japanese which means Japanese. They are mostly found in the Akihabara…read more on Maid Kissa

Yodobashi – Akihabara Store

Yodobashi have stores all over Tokyo, but the new store in Akihabara has to be one of the biggest electronic stores in Tokyo. The store has 9 floors with over 23,000 square metres of floor space, featuring over 600,000 items. If you can’t find what you are looking for here you, probably will not be able to find in Tokyo.

Yodobashi Akiba

Yodobashi Akiba

Been to Akihabara? Share your experience visiting Akihabara right here.

Featured image in this article by Mathieu Thouvenin, CC 2.0

0 comment
Michael

Michael has lived in Japan for almost 10 years and loves sharing his knowledge of his favorite metropolis, Tokyo.

previous post
Ueno
next post
Ikebukuro

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Popular Posts

  • 1

    Best Things To Do In Tokyo With Kids: The Complete 2019 Guide

    June 10, 2019
  • 2

    Tokyo for Free !!! – Free things to see and do in Tokyo

    July 24, 2013
  • 3

    The Kanto Earthquake Memorial Museum

    July 25, 2013
  • 4

    Harajuku Area Guide

    July 19, 2013
  • 5

    The 8 Best Places to Hike Near Tokyo

    February 2, 2017

Categories

  • 2020 Tokyo Olympics (3)
  • Accommodation (1)
  • Akihabara (1)
  • Asakusa (1)
  • Attractions (34)
  • Books (1)
  • Celebrities (2)
  • Events (1)
  • Featured (5)
  • Festivals (12)
  • Food (4)
  • Free (2)
  • Ginza (1)
  • Guidebooks (1)
  • Ikebukuro (3)
  • Kamakura (1)
  • Living in Tokyo (11)
  • Maps (11)
  • News (40)
  • Odaiba (4)
  • Photography (1)
  • Places for kids (10)
  • Restaurants (8)
  • Roppongi (2)
  • Shibuya (4)
  • Shinjuku (6)
  • Shopping (8)
  • Sport (3)
  • Things To Do In Tokyo (27)
  • Tokyo Areas (21)
  • Tokyo News (9)
  • Tokyo Travel Tips (13)
  • Travel (10)
  • Tsukiji (1)
  • Ueno (3)
  • Uncategorized (1)
  • Yokohama (1)

About Tokyo Essentials

About Tokyo Essentials

Tokyo Essentials was started in 2000 with the goal of providing you all the information you need to have the best trip to Tokyo possible.

Recent Posts

  • Natural Beauty In and Around Tokyo: Top 10 Green Oases in a Concrete Desert

    November 21, 2019
  • Best Things To Do In Tokyo With Kids: The Complete 2019 Guide

    June 10, 2019

Contact

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Write for Us

@2005-2019 Tokyo Essentials - All Right Reserved.