Gaming —

The gaikokujin gamer’s guide to Akihabara, Japan’s “Electric Town”

Gallery: Seeking out retro games and electronics from the not-too-distant future.

The gaikokujin gamer’s guide to Akihabara, Japan’s “Electric Town”

When I was in grade school in the early 90s, Japan had an inherent air of mystery as the place where most of my video games and electronics came from. Schoolyard rumors abounded of how the Japanese were already up to, like, Super Mario 19. And they allegedly had robots that could actually bring you a soda from the fridge without getting up off the couch. ('It is so true, my cousin's friend went there and he saw it! No, you're stupid!')

OK, as I got older, I realized some of those stories about Japanese wares were a little, um, overstated. But the country still held its allure as a mecca of technology and gaming shops. So when I flew out for my first-ever Toyko Game Show this year, I had to take some free time to check out the shopping in Akihabara, the "Electric Town" district known the world over as a tech nerd mecca (sometimes abbreviated as "Akiba").

I only had a chance to check out a few of the massive, multi-floor stores, but that was plenty to highlight the amazing similarities and differences between the Japanese and American markets. Don't take my word for it; check out the quick visual guide I've put together below.

Channel Ars Technica