Back in the day I used to go to Akihabara all the time. I've never been a real otaku type but when I first got to Japan I did watch a lot of anime. I've also always been a gadget junky so I often took a trip there to check out new phones, computer parts and gizmos, while also maybe picking up news about upcoming anime series and buying a cool tank miniature or two.
But sometime around 3 years ago, the whole area seemed to shift. I think the moe boom was the main cause, then came the maid cafes and eventually when anime and otaku-ism went mainstream the whole place lost a lot of its charm.
There are, however, still areas in and around Akihabara where you can find interesting shops, buildings and people to see. The top pic is a girl advertising a maid cafe. I asked if I could take a pic, and she said as long as I didn't get her face in it. I think it turned out more interesting this way. And man, were the maids out in full force this weekend. I have to admit I'm surprised they're still going strong after this much time.
Oh, and she was also wearing a pair of those new emotion-reading cat ears.
Head west from Akihabara Station then south on Showa Dori and you get to the Kanda River. Cross a bridge and the feel of the area changes completely.
Walk around this side of Akihabara and you can find a fantastic mix of building styles in a tiny place. The next pic is my favorite from this set. Zoom in on it and look around a bit. God, I love the layers.
You get early boom era shops from the 50s and 60s tucked in next to towering new apartment complexes. It reminds me a lot of parts of Hong Kong, actually, in spirit at least.
And you also find the ever present shitamachi coffee shop/restaurant. Go into just about any of them and you're guaranteed to get decent food and a good cup of coffee.
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