What has become of Akihabara?

[MintyTheCat]

Even before my time...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6zmIe0tJxE

Not a lot changed but during those days they still had all the No-pan kissa before the system shut them down - the ones with the glass ceilings and all for people to look upwards at a special price

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No-pan_kissa

From what I can tell things were more extreme in the 80s.

[GaijinPunch]

I don't think the system shut them down. They were just a fad.

According to a couple of the posts:

80's: Steroes / Junk
90's: PC Shops
00's: Anime/games
10's: AKB / Gaijin

[MintyTheCat]

I don't think the system shut them down. They were just a fad.

According to a couple of the posts:

80's: Steroes / Junk
90's: PC Shops
00's: Anime/games
10's: AKB / Gaijin

I remember reading many, many years back how this was closed down but Wikipedia tells us:

The New Amusement Business Control and Improvement Act came into force on February 13, 1985, which further restricted the sex industry, and protected the more traditional businesses

Have they still got all the phone clubs and such like the in the 90s? I often wonder what the feminists make of Japan.

[GaijinPunch]

I remember reading many, many years back how this was closed down but Wikipedia tells us:

I know someone that went to one as late as the mid-naughties.

The New Amusement Business Control and Improvement Act came into force on February 13, 1985, which further restricted the sex industry, and protected the more traditional businesses

Have they still got all the phone clubs and such like the in the 90s? I often wonder what the feminists make of Japan.

Phone clubs are long gone, but deaikei websites and similar ilk have taken their place. To put things into perspective, there is only one illegal activity, and that is coitus. Anything else you can imagine doing with your junk is totally legal if the business has the proper license. A lot of places don't, and those are the places that get raided, which I find highly hypocritical and complete lip service (pun intended) but that's just me. The aforementioned law, I believe is the Fuuzoku Eihou, which covers a lot of late night business types (including game centers and night clubs), which are closely monitored. This is where the "no dancing after 1AM" law that was VERY recently changed stemmed from.

Welcome to the 1930's. It may sound dumb but Japan's handling of archaic laws across the board was contributing factor in my exodus. The family law related ones were the most painful, but from top to bottom, the shit show is laughable.

[MintyTheCat]

Gaijinpunch:

yes, I think each country has its own peculiarities that makes people from other countries question the meaning of

I recall how much trouble a friend of mine had in registering her child as the father was not Japanese but she was. There are some very odd things that are taken as being the norm for sure over there but then the UK and Germany have some odd ideas too

You may well have made a good choice in moving and it definitely changes in terms of priorities for each of us when we have a partner whom we are married to and more so when we have children to consider.

Cheers.

[GaijinPunch]

There's some bullshit here in America, for sure, but Japan is notoriously slow for acclimating to the present. The latest is changing the grace period for women to enter a new marriage. They shortened form 6 months (to I think 3) but it's STILL there and men can get married right away. The law is there to determine paternity of a child. You know, b/c that can't be tested any other way.

[hanasu]

Super Potato, regardless of their prices, isn't even worth to trip to gawk at their stuff like a tourist because there's fucking nothing there to gawk at anymore. The shelves were seriously barren.

[GaijinPunch]

That's pretty shocking. The showcase, too? They never had priced to move prices, but who knows what the tourists did when the yen tanked so hard.

[juji82]

I hope my post does not break any rules, if so, mods, feel free to trash it.
The company which I work for is in the talks about opening a shop in Akiba. Its focus will be mainly about Anime/Manga products, but It will have a small section of retro stuff. I will take care of it personally. My goal is to have competitive prices and good shape stuff, so you can find a small paradise in what's left in Akihabara. I will strive to make that section bigger, but in order to do so I will need your help, visiting the store and, if you will find something interesting, buying and supporting us! If this project will become reality, I will (with mod authorization, of course) make a small presentation and showcase of in progress status. One of my idea is to offer a small present for the shump forumers once they visit here (or buys online from our shop).

[GaijinPunch]

I don't think anyone here would mind a post like that. Probably welcomed, actually. Hope it works out!

[MX7]

Akihabara is pretty fun to mooch around, but aside from HEY there's nothing too exciting. HZT dragged JDE and I to Nakano Broadway on the promise that it was Akihabara condensed in to a shitty shopping mall, and it really didn't dissapoint. Like a proper Megaten certified labrynth of nerd shit, junk stores, animation cells, guro comix and hardcore porn. Next time i'm in Tokyo i'm not even going to bother with Akihabara...

And GP you weren't lying about the record stores. While most of them seemed to be devoted to The Beetles and other shit, i found a floor of Disk Union almost totally devoted to Japanese 'new wave' (postpunk, riot grrrl, goth and technopop) and it was heaven. Prices were excellent too, as long as you're not interested in Western stuff/7"s.

So yeah, if i still played videogames i would have been pretty dissapointed in Akihabara. Honestly Book Off in Shinjuku had a better selection of games and less depressing nerds to wade through. The arcade scene is also fairly depressing if you like stuff in a Candy Cab but i managed to find a few quiet corners here and there to have a cigarette and play Saidaioujou while waiting for something.

[GaijinPunch]

Disk Union is dope. I just went back for a few days and was only able to pop in. The Shibuya store's Electronica section seems to have vanished. I've bought too many recently anyway so just let it go. Next time, perhaps. There are some western things you can get for better prices there... but it's a bit of a dig.

[dingsbums]

What I am wondering => What about the PCB shops like MAK ? Aren't they located in Akihabara as well ? Aren't they at least worth a visit ?
Are they closed / as barren as the game shops ?

[neorichieb1971]

ebay is now Akihabara. The amount of 16bit carts on there is unbelievable. I've even seen Super Metroid x10 unopened in a big Nintendo box. It would seem even the shops in Japan held onto lots of stock for years.

It was on my bucket list to hit Aki during its prime, but I missed it. I am guessing somewhere between 92 and 98 was its prime?

[GaijinPunch]

What I am wondering => What about the PCB shops like MAK ? Aren't they located in Akihabara as well ? Aren't they at least worth a visit ?
Are they closed / as barren as the game shops ?

Mak has moved but is still there. Try is about to go mail order only, AFAIK. G-Front is still there, somehow -- that should tell you about the quality of Akiba.

It was on my bucket list to hit Aki during its prime, but I missed it. I am guessing somewhere between 92 and 98 was its prime?

Depends on what you wanted. There were still some deals to be had until at least the late naughties. Early naughties I'd say it was even good.

[Pointman]

Akiba was definitely good in 2001 but by 2009 it started to become a shadow of it's former self, I'd hate to think what it is like now. I miss the smaller Trader 2, before it moved into bigger premises. The selection of games in there was insane, I must have spent hours trawling the shelves in that place. Interesting fact: the toilet disinfectant they use in a local pub smells exactly the same as Gamers does in Akiba. Either the pub has great taste for the otaku crowd or Akihabara really has gone down the shitter.

[Skykid]

I was there in 2003 and it was amazing. Shopping spree of my life. By 2009 it was hanging on. I bought quite a few games but bargains were spartan and the shops a lot less varied and colourful.

I imagine it's largely a waste of time now.

[GaijinPunch]

I was there in 2003 and it was amazing. Shopping spree of my life. By 2009 it was hanging on. I bought quite a few games but bargains were spartan and the shops a lot less varied and colourful.

I imagine it's largely a waste of time now.

This sounds about right to me.

FWIW, I walked through Akiba to Ueno last week and didn't go into one game shop.

[Satan]

I had a bucket list that included seeing a shuttle launch, a trip to Akihabara and audience tickets for Letterman.
Time to get a new list.

[GaijinPunch]

Nipponbashi in Osaka might be worth the trip still. Osaka itself sure is. And you can always do Nakano broadway, which I've always found quite a charming format for Japan. It's like US flea market building meets Akihabara and other ADHD hobbies.

[Devdan]

Akiba is still great, y'all can eat it. Maybe it was better before, but considering how arcades are vanishing I'd say it's still pretty stellar. Both Leisurelands, TRY and HEY are better than any arcade in the US, and the Taito Station and Club Segas aren't meritless.

...that said, I had never been there before 2012, and I can already see that it's declined a bit since then, so...ug...it's still good though, don't exaggerate.

[cj iwakura]

Yeah, I was just there last week. It's a goldmine.

You'll just have to put in work to find the gems. I found Busin 0 not at Super Potato, not at Mandarake, not at Book-Off..

at Trader.

You'll find plenty to go nuts over.


And yeah, Mandarake Gaming in Nakano Broadway... good god. $5 artbooks ahoy!


Also, in SP's defense: they had this baby.


I also bought Shikigami 1 there.

[Skykid]

...that said, I had never been there before 2012, and I can already see that it's declined a bit since then, so...ug...it's still good though, don't exaggerate.

Nobody is exaggerating. It's still relatively great compared to the west, but it's massively declined compared to how it was a decade ago. Them's the fax I'm afraid. If you never went before 2012 then you don't really know what you missed out on, so don't worry about it too much.

[GaijinPunch]

Akiba is still great, y'all can eat it. Maybe it was better before, but considering how arcades are vanishing I'd say it's still pretty stellar. Both Leisurelands, TRY and HEY are better than any arcade in the US, and the Taito Station and Club Segas aren't meritless.

...that said, I had never been there before 2012, and I can already see that it's declined a bit since then, so...ug...it's still good though, don't exaggerate.

Nobody is complaining about arcades, and honestly they are better in some ways than the 90's. There might have been more hole in the wall arcades but the few that push retro are arguably better, but at least as good. The thing that sucks big donkey balls about Akiba is

1: The lack of retro games. 12 years ago, you could go to a number of stores and buy tons of 8 to 32-bit console games.
2: The abundance of AKB48 shit and maids which draw in a lot of undesirable clientele... that's saying something considering what geeks we are.

One way it's DEFINITELY better than the 90's is the freedom of taking a nice cathartic shit somewhere. Back in the day, you had McDonald's and Mister Donut. That was IT! Now there's all kinds of places, with much higher quality.

[MintyTheCat]

Back in the day, you had McDonald's and Mister Donut. That was IT! Now there's all kinds of places, with much higher quality.

I use McDonald's exclusively for having a shit in when on the move - it is just about up to the mark for that but nothing else

[GaijinPunch]

it is just about up to the mark for that but nothing else

Totally agreed.

[Devdan]

Akiba is still great, y'all can eat it. Maybe it was better before, but considering how arcades are vanishing I'd say it's still pretty stellar. Both Leisurelands, TRY and HEY are better than any arcade in the US, and the Taito Station and Club Segas aren't meritless.

...that said, I had never been there before 2012, and I can already see that it's declined a bit since then, so...ug...it's still good though, don't exaggerate.

Nobody is complaining about arcades, and honestly they are better in some ways than the 90's. There might have been more hole in the wall arcades but the few that push retro are arguably better, but at least as good. The thing that sucks big donkey balls about Akiba is

1: The lack of retro games. 12 years ago, you could go to a number of stores and buy tons of 8 to 32-bit console games.
2: The abundance of AKB48 shit and maids which draw in a lot of undesirable clientele... that's saying something considering what geeks we are.

One way it's DEFINITELY better than the 90's is the freedom of taking a nice cathartic shit somewhere. Back in the day, you had McDonald's and Mister Donut. That was IT! Now there's all kinds of places, with much higher quality.

Good to hear. I dunno, it just seems like any time I see anyone mention Akiba these days it's either something about idols or maid cafes, or it's in the context of "AKIBA SUCKS, NAKANO 4EVER".

At the junior high I was ALTing at last year, the first thing my co-workers learned about me was that I liked Akihabara, and they instantly assumed I was an AK48 fan. They'd always say things like "what'd you do last weekend, I bet you went to Akihabara!", for lack of knowing anything else about me an laugh. The guy who I worked with the most kept insisting I must like AKB, and I had to tell like 8 times that I really don't, and that I mostly go to Akihabara for the arcades. One of my other co-workers told me a previous ALT liked AKB48 and was very vocal about it, and that it was fine and nobody judged him for it. I was like "that's nice, but really, I don't like them at all." I can only hope they eventually came to believe me and didn't think I was just being evasive. Barely being able to speak any Japanese sucks.

[mulletgeezer]

Akihabara is definitely bollocks for shopping at the moment - I went to a bunch of shops there with a modest want list of uncommon games and could barely find anything, even Raiden 5 is scarce there. I found a couple of items at Book Off. I could barely find anything at Nakano either though I went on a Wednesday so maybe the good places were closed.

I've been an Osaka fan for a while so I went to DenDen last week - found Raiden 5 in the first two shops I visited, new and used. Found a shop in the main street called A-Too (opposite the Taito arcade close to the Ebisucho subway exit) they had pretty much everything I wanted. They had nearly every 360 shmup and lots of ps1 and ps2 stuff, uncommon items like Geppy-x, Raiden fighters aces, Bokkan to ippatsu and Gunbare Game Tengoku were all there at reasonable prices.... though there's not much to compare these to as I found very few of these games anywhere else. The games I saw in both A-too and Book Off were identically priced in nearly every case. It was a real pleasure to walk in to a shop and find basically everything I wanted at an acceptable price, when did that last happen in Akihabara? I walked away 40000 yen poorer and happy.

The arcades in DenDen are no match for Akihabara but they're decent and most games are 50 yen, there's even some quality 10 yenny shmups in the Taito arcade. Due to the tramp scum area just south of DenDen there's some 50 yenny vending machines nearby and a Mega Don Quixote and private rooms can be had for 1500 per night..... VFM indeed. Den-Den is becoming more like Akihabara; an increased number of maid-whores line the streets and I even saw a small convoy of Itasha driving through. For now I think it's worth a visit.

[MintyTheCat]

Good write up, mulletgeezer.

[juji82]

Small Update : It seems our shop business will be reality. There will be at the beginning a small area for retro/arcade stuff.
We just started to find the shop as of now, we might have found it just 1 minute from station, really near to Super Potato. Let's see how things will sort out. Once it will be official I will start my own topic with WIP.