what time does Akihabara close?

greg · Post by **greg** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 2:25 am

I'll be there on Friday night. I can't remember if all the shops close at 8 or 9pm. I remember years back that Media Land near the station stays open later than the other shops.

dcharlie · Post by **dcharlie** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 2:32 am

depends on the shops, but 11am to 8pm has recently became the norm for most stores.

Mak still closes at 7pm if you are headed for arcade boards.

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 4:33 am

what time does Akihabara close?

The entire area is fenced off and the grid shut down at 8PM sharp. Nobody allowed in until the next morning. Strict laws in that one district.

I remember years back that Media Land near the station stays open later than the other shops.

Very little reason to go there now if you liked what it was 5 years ago. Trader 2 is pretty crappy as well. In fact... the whole thing is kinda lame unless you're dying for something.

Cthulhu · Post by **Cthulhu** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 6:41 am

All my info is ~2 years old, but most of the shops started closing around 8pm on weeknights with just a few scattered ones staying open later. The arcades were open later, until 10pm or so (although I think one stayed open till midnight). After that it was just manga cafes that were still open.

greg · Post by **greg** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 1:02 am

GaijinPunch wrote:The entire area is fenced off and the grid shut down at 8PM sharp. Nobody allowed in until the next morning. Strict laws in that one district.

Very little reason to go there now if you liked what it was 5 years ago. Trader 2 is pretty crappy as well. In fact... the whole thing is kinda lame unless you're dying for something.

Blocked off, huh? Strange. I know Media Land wasn't really what it used to be, and I prefer Trader, Liberty, Super Potato, and Friends.

Does anybody know when all the shops in Nakano Broadway close down? Is it around 8? I may go there Friday night first if it's open until 8, then I can hit the Osho for a ramen set.

EDIT: It looks like Nakano closes down at 8. Mandarake may remain open later if it's like the other locations. I have a book called Tokyo Mania Shop Exploration Party. It's 10 years old, printed in '99. While I was living in Japan, this book was still pretty recent. It gives store hours. I think I'll go there Friday and then hit Yamashiroya in Ueno before it closes at 9:30.

Thanks, guys.

croikle · Post by **croikle** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 2:27 am

The entire area is fenced off and the grid shut down at 8PM sharp.

GP is not known for honesty when there's humor to be had...

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 3:29 am

True dat, croikle.

Back on topic: Super Potato has the selection, but prices are awful. Friends has a half-decent selection, but is sometimes even pricier. I never even go in any more.

Check out the new Mandarake in Akihabara. It fits somewhere in the middle (not nearly as many premium titles as Super Potatoe) but they've got some videos and books and shit, too. I picked up some Gamest there last time.

greg · Post by **greg** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 4:19 am

I usually take notes and compare prices before I buy. So, JP, you don't seem to think much of any of the places I've listed. What are your favorite places to shop for used games (not necessarily Akihabara)?

There is one retro shop that is close to G-Front and Friends. I can't remember the name of the place. It's always staffed by this old woman and they play 8-bit game soundtracks all the time.

Yes, Mandarake was new to Akihabara the last time I went (Feb '06). I mostly bought plastic models and anime figures and such on my last trip to Japan.

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:34 am

greg wrote:I usually take notes and compare prices before I buy. So, JP, you don't seem to think much of any of the places I've listed. What are your favorite places to shop for used games (not necessarily Akihabara)?

I generally don't buy from Akihabara unless it's something I"m really after. I don't have time to go out there anyway, as I live in the fashionably hip part of town. That being said, Yahoo is where I get most everything.

Yes, Mandarake was new to Akihabara the last time I went (Feb '06). I mostly bought plastic models and anime figures and such on my last trip to Japan.

Was it open then? I thought it was much later. Hmm... damn memory.

adversity1 · Post by **adversity1** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 6:06 am

GaijinPunch wrote:
greg wrote:I usually take notes and compare prices before I buy. So, JP, you don't seem to think much of any of the places I've listed. What are your favorite places to shop for used games (not necessarily Akihabara)?
I generally don't buy from Akihabara unless it's something I"m really after. I don't have time to go out there anyway, as I live in the fashionably hip part of town.

Shimokita?

Looking there and Nakano now for a place to live.

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 10:39 am

adversity1 wrote: Shimokita?

Looking there and Nakano now for a place to live.

Wife would never go for Shimo. It's just too fucking old. Almost every home is made out of wood and 30 years old. I leave a stone's throw from Yoyogi Park. On the bicycle, Shibuya & Harajuku are 5 minutes away, Shinjuku about 12. Walking about 15 & 30 respectively.

I can get to Nakano pretty quickly as well, but cycling on Yamate Doori isn't exactly fun or healthy. Good luck w/ the house hunting. Make sure to be a dick. Economy is terrible - there's no reason you shouldn't get an excellent place for cheap.

dcharlie · Post by **dcharlie** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 12:54 pm

To reiterate the be a dick sentiment , you should also play long. Took us two years of bickering but we saved stupid cash by not jumping in.

And were very close to shimo :)o

greg · Post by **greg** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 1:49 pm

GaijinPunch wrote:Wife would never go for Shimo. It's just too fucking old. Almost every home is made out of wood and 30 years old. I leave a stone's throw from Yoyogi Park.

Wow, you must be paying a lot to live where you are. I assume it is on the east side of Yoyogi Park? The west side in Yoyogi has some pretty nice houses, close to Sangubashi Station on the Odakyu line. I'd rather live on that side if I could pick. A lot quieter.

dcharlie · Post by **dcharlie** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 2:57 pm

but cycling on Yamate Doori isn't exactly fun or healthy.

yeah, i run to work via yamate doori every day (or as often as i can) and the health effects of the run suddenly vanish in the smog intake :/

that said, life out towards Shimo is very nice

Pointman · Post by **Pointman** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 6:46 pm

Aki was definately alot more shite when I went back in February, it's been getting worse and worse by the year. The only decent shops there now are Super Potato (brilliant stock but awful prices) Messe Sanoh (bloody good for new games and dvd superplays) and G-Front (stock is great but prices are a nightmare)

On a separate note, has anyone been to the new and improved Try Amusement Tower? It's all been dragged into the 21st Century with nice new furnishings and a, quite frankly, beautiful selection of games. Why is it then that when I went there it was empty? HEY must totally take the monopoly in the entire area. Shame really as it is a very nice arcade.

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 12:12 am

greg: Yes, it's pricey, but I work out of my house, so I get a nice write off. Not 100% by a stretch, but it helps. I live a station down from Sanguubashi... even closer to the park than that, basically. And, it's very close to Yamate Doori, but far enough to be quiet.

I've always cycled to other work spots over the year... generally the Tameike/Akasaka area. The mornings are great as I have to be *in* by 8:00... very, very little traffic surprisingly. Leaving in the late afternoon/early evening sucks.

has anyone been to the new and improved Try Amusement Tower?

Went last week. I've had pictures and a write-up done for months now, and will one day post it. I went with a guy that worked there years ago, and apparently knows some of the staff. The now 1.75 floors of retro games will be converted into 1 floor, and the Slot floor will be expanded to 2 floors. Apparently the retro games aren't bringing in enough dough. The fighting floor had some action there last time I went. They had tow VF5 cabs running at 2 credits per 100 yen. They're 4:3 cabs though, and the one I was on was fuzzy.

FIL · Post by **FIL** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 7:24 pm

Did somebody mention train stations?

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 8:07 pm

FIL wrote:Did somebody mention train stations?

Fits the bill with your cool avatar, FIL. ^_~

Cthulhu · Post by **Cthulhu** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 4:35 am

I think people who go to Akiba in search of bargains on rare games are going to be disappointed - it was that way years ago too. You go there for the selection, not the prices.

greg · Post by **greg** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 10:36 pm

We checked into the hotel in Shinjuku and I took the Chuou kaisoku train from there. I got to Akihabara around 7pm. A lot of the stores closed at 8, but a lot stayed open. Super Potato had the best selection, and the prices weren't so bad considering what I was looking for. I got the Gundam Gryps campaign for Sufami Turbo, Der Langrisser for SFC, Tear Ring Saga for PS1 all for decent prices (the priciest was Tear Ring Saga for about 1100 yen). However, now that I am staying with the family in Nagano Pref, I just saw Der Langrisser for 380 yen. Oh well. I was tempted to get Galaxy Fraulein Yuna 2 for the PCE, but I never made it back. I looked around for Gradius Generation for the GBA, but I had no luck at all. No wonder I have seen sellers on YAJ listing the American version.

I spent the most time at the Liberty Figure Kan, which stayed open until 9pm. I bought a used but in otherwise excellent condition model kit of Altier Sai's Vic Viper from Gradius III.

The next day I went to Nakano with my baby daughter in a carry sling. I played Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Codes at a game center there with her and she enjoyed it a lot. Considering that it is by Capcom, I wasn't surprised that it was a decent fighting game, considering that it is an anime licensin game. I bought a whole ton of neat crap there, including finally getting the shmup gachapons of the Layer Section and R-Type ships. Oh yeah, something also game related is that they had VALIS gachapon. Holy crap, I was happy to see that. They had gachapon of Yoko and Reiko from Valis I, and Cham and others from Valis II. The funny thing is, considering that the Valis name has recently been turned into a hentai game for the PC, these gachapon had cast-off parts, which means that Yoko can go around slaying monsters with her sword with her bare titties and nothing to cover her bum when her short skirt flitters in the breeze. I'm sure that makes some guys pretty excited, but I was surprised to see Valis gachapon. Maybe I'll paint some pubes on her when I get home. Just kidding. I think.

I just remember once several years ago arriving at Akihabara just after 8pm and everything seemed closed except Media Land. I'm glad to see that there are plenty of stores still open after 8pm. I stopped by Hey and finally got to play some Death Smiles (I haven't been to Japan in over 2 years).

Now for the next 3 weeks, we will be taking it very easy and just relax and do nothing. My daughter is almost a year old, and being sleep deprived from the baby and working two jobs because my pay stinks these days, I have been burning the candle from both ends and getting sick at least once a month. Consequently, I never post on here anymore and I get all of my shmup news second-hand from friends. I am glad to have a relaxed itinerary after dragging my baby (and suit cases) around Tokyo for 24 hours.

Post by **undamned** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 7:58 pm

Greg, I'm pretty much convinced that Bookmans is the closest we can get to Akiba shopping in AZ.
-ud

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 9:58 pm

undamned wrote:Greg, I'm pretty much convinced that Bookmans is the closest we can get to Akiba shopping in AZ.
-ud

The closest to Akiba shopping experience in San Francisco would the famous Japantown section. There is the famous Mikado toy store with it's crazy expensive prices but you do get what you pay for in the end. ^_~

It's always cool to see what's the latest and greatest at the San Francisco based Kinokuniya bookstore as well.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

greg · Post by **greg** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 12:11 am

undamned wrote:Greg, I'm pretty much convinced that Bookmans is the closest we can get to Akiba shopping in AZ.
-ud

Even if they lined up Bookmans, Stalking Moon, Andy's Hobby HQ, Fry's Electronics, Gamestop and Game Crazy all in a row in AZ, it still wouldn't come close to Akihabara.