Where to Shop for Electronics in Tokyo

Filed in archive Neighborhoods on October 14, 2007

Tokyo is electric.
Do I mean electric as in exciting? Yes and no. Tokyo is an incredible place to visit, but, like all big cities, it can be quite frustrating and tiring. So visiting will give you a buzz, but it will also wear you out.
I guess what I should have said is Tokyo is electronic. Some call it the most technologically advanced city in the world.

You'd be hard pressed to prove otherwise. The latest gadgets at Sony's showcase store in Ginza are enough to make the most tech-savvy geek's jaw hit the floor. However, the store is a place to gawk, but not to shop.

Akihabara offers more electronics retailers per square foot, yard, or meter than any other neighborhood on the planet. The neighborhood is located in Tokyo's central district of Chiyoda. Aside from cameras, DVDs, and video games, there is a booming business in everything from vacuum cleaners to florescent lights to batteries. Even if you aren't in the market for a new digital camera, its quite an experience to walk down street after street of electronics shops.

There is also a kind of otaku subculture in Akihabara. These fans of Japan's cartoon and animation industry go as far as dressing up like their favorite characters and hanging out in public. There are also street performers on weekends. All this just adds to the sensory overload that one gets from a stroll in Akihabara.

The best thing about Akihabara is that prices are not as outrageous as elsewhere in Tokyo. The more you explore, the better deals you will find. Shops in some of the smaller alleyways are not as adept at dealing with non-Japanese speakers however. So bring your phrase book if you don't think your lingo is up to the task.