Akihabara

This is the first thing you see when you turn the corner out of Akihabara station. This is the electric town exit. You might want to make note of the buildings in the background as they are the perfect landmark for finding your way back to the station if you get lost.

You can get a better look at them in the map from the following link.

http://maps.google.com/maps?sll=35.698885,139.77415&sspn=0.004635,0.009645&cbll=35.698234,139.771909&panoid=9lN4Dx-X-rtQHYjZ-HHzMw&cbp=12,275.38,,0,-11.62&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=&t=h&ll=35.69824,139.772015&spn=0,359.98071&z=16&layer=c

The Gamers sign. Some might recognize it as it's pretty popular place to buy anime, figures and other otaku related paraphernalia. They were building a new section in the corner when I went, they probably finished it by now.

Turning right at the corner where Gamers is located and going a little further down the road, just past a Club Sega, you'll find these buildings. No idea what they are for, I just thought the picture of the girl was cute. I believe it's from a Nintendo DS game where you must rub girls with your stylus to figure out if they are witches or not.

http://maps.google.com/maps?sll=35.698885,139.77415&sspn=0.004635,0.009645&cbll=35.699029,139.771167&panoid=ujb3WG-YGLwiEgUDX6s7Gw&cbp=12,273.74,,0,-47.56&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=&t=h&layer=c&ll=35.698954,139.771156&spn=0,359.995177&z=18

Not sure where this row of vending machines was located.

If you cross the street and continue along the road you'll end up passing by cafe Moco. A friend told me to go to this cafe if I ever went to Akihabara, didn't really feel like coffee at the time though.

You can barely make it out in the google maps page. It's in the center, behind the tree and bellow the yellow building.

http://maps.google.com/maps?sll=35.698885,139.77415&sspn=0.004635,0.009645&cbll=35.699417,139.771199&panoid=HmhDuP4dQmnGOIF8Yx_CmA&cbp=12,100.16,,0,-2.32&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=&t=h&layer=c&ll=35.699338,139.771178&spn=0,359.98071&z=16

Just past cafe Moco you'll find a big Sofmap building. They sell bunch of different stuff. I bought a CD there.

http://maps.google.com/maps?sll=35.698885,139.77415&sspn=0.004635,0.009645&cbll=35.699743,139.771548&panoid=l5J1wk8lcoArCgXtr7bYgQ&cbp=12,336.38,,0,-12.37&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=&t=h&layer=c&ll=35.699778,139.771296&spn=0,359.995177&z=18

This is actually another shop entrance across the street from the building above. You can get a better view in link to the map from the picture before this one.

This is what an Akihabara sidewalk looks like. This is right past the picture before. You'll notice a bunch of blue adverts everywhere. Same store.

http://maps.google.com/maps?sll=35.698885,139.77415&sspn=0.004635,0.009645&cbll=35.699961,139.771246&panoid=4trINfRa19i5IaeCsJ7fEQ&cbp=12,49.05,,0,-1.7&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=&t=h&layer=c&ll=35.699874,139.771231&spn=0,359.995177&z=18

These are some adverts outside the Sofmap store. No idea what they are for just thought they were cute. You'll notice some posters with famous voice actress Hirano Aya, she had recently released an album or something.

The yellow advert is for a PlayStation 2 game called Persona 4. It had recently been released in Japan when I was there. It was yet to be released in the US so I was impatiently waiting for it.

Right next to Sofmap is a Taito Station. There's a better look of the insides in the next picture.

http://maps.google.com/maps?sll=35.698885,139.77415&sspn=0.004635,0.009645&cbll=35.700242,139.771273&panoid=YEUXOAvEkQifpQVPog3ucg&cbp=12,100.55,,0,-25.33&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=&t=h&layer=c&ll=35.700375,139.771296&spn=0,359.995177&z=18

Lots of space invaders.

Couple of buildings over from the Taito Station you find this. Animate is another famous otaku store. I got a friend some figures here.

It's somewhat hard to see in the map. Look for a blue line in the buildings.

http://maps.google.com/maps?sll=35.698885,139.77415&sspn=0.004635,0.009645&cbll=35.700481,139.771305&panoid=BlG2Zhn2kybxFUzSlebLwg&cbp=12,93.62,,0,-20.17&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=&t=h&layer=c&ll=35.700562,139.771317&spn=0,359.995177&z=18

Another Hirano Aya poster. Apparently she went to visit Animate some days before I went to Akihabara so I barely missed seeing her. Also notice Yuno from Hidamari Sketch in a cute store attendant outfit.

I was lost at this point and somehow ended up at a KFC. This statue of the colonel is famous around Akihabara and is often dressed up in different costumes.

http://maps.google.com/maps?sll=35.698885,139.77415&sspn=0.004635,0.009645&cbll=35.698493,139.770537&panoid=3X6TQ8joicCrqT-1qYRMmw&cbp=12,47.52,,0,0.7&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=&t=h&layer=c&ll=35.698545,139.770416&spn=0,359.995177&z=18

Not quite sure what they sell in that building. I saw Sega and snapped a pic.

http://maps.google.com/maps?sll=35.698885,139.77415&sspn=0.004635,0.009645&cbll=35.697911,139.771058&panoid=X8IH2qjQdFaIeHP2q2U3HA&cbp=12,115.03,,0,-15.47&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=&t=h&layer=c&ll=35.697909,139.771049&spn=0,359.98071&z=16

An indie videogame store. You can see some students taking it easy here.

At this point I was exhausted and decided to go rest at my hotel.

This was taken from the inside of the station. From the second floor.

Hope you enjoyed the photos.

http://maps.google.com/maps?sll=35.698885,139.77415&sspn=0.004635,0.009645&cbll=35.698694,139.774233&panoid=AlJDzcHQlW_BMjmwwdpAPw&cbp=12,63.76,,0,-10.02&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=&t=h&layer=c&ll=35.698615,139.774214&spn=0,359.990355&z=17