Akihabara is the largest electronics town in the world. It is crowded with shops selling every variety and make of household electrical appliances and PCs, specialty shops dealing in electronic parts that you can’t get anywhere else, and duty-free shops. On the other hand, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of Otaku-type shops, which carry animation items and comic books, and the town is renowned even abroad as the origin of Otaku culture. Particularly popular are the “Maid cafes” where the waitresses are dressed in maid costumes, and you will often see people on the street dressed as popular animation hero characters. Redevelopment is underway across from the station and high rises containing IT companies that also run Internet cafes and university facilities or specialty buildings for restaurants are being constructed. Akihabara is an area that will continue growing and changing in pace with the times we live in.
