5 ms·

Video guides to Akihabara (Tokyo area with tons of computer/electronic shops)

59 points by nfriedly 16y ago

dotBen 16y ago
I went to Akihabara on a visit to Tokyo a few years back... I have to say I was pretty unimpressed. Visiting Japan is a mind-blowing experience but once you have got over the crazy ways they do retail in general, Akihabara itself doesn't have much to offer IMHO. The few unusual stores that are there are the ones the guide shows, like the discount test equipment/oscilloscope store (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGPddaXFkXU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGPddaXFkXU). Sure they are kind of cool but most of it is just regular electronics at prices that were not competitive. The internet really changed things - Akihabara was the place to buy unusual and rare electronics but the chances are you can buy anything you see in Akihabara in the US via the Internet, at a cheaper price point. I'm sure you can buy those second-hand oscilloscopes at similar discount prices via specialized online retailers. Do check out the video of the labyrinth 'department stores', which are buildings full of small vendors (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKmwIBfT5U4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKmwIBfT5U4). I used to visit buildings like that in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia that were several levels just full of pirated software - all dark and full of neon, it was like something out of Blade Runner. Roll-up shutters to lock-up style units with all this software on the wall - patrons would just pick off the wall the names of the software they wanted (Windows, MS Office, Photoshop, etc) and some kid would run off and bring them the disks at $1 a pop. Every now and again one of these units would be selling noodles or soup or pot-stickers. But again, the Internet has disrupted that market and you don't see them as much (http://ahcheo.blogspot.com/2009/06/todays-imbi-plaza.html http://ahcheo.blogspot.com/2009/06/todays-imbi-plaza.html) - I guess because if you are interested in obtaining pirated software you can do it via Bit Torrent. Speaking of fake stuff, check out the "Mac Store" in Akihabara: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dotben/53700249/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/dotben/53700249/ This photo, http://www.flickr.com/photos/dotben/53699076/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/dotben/53699076/, also reminded me that if you do visit Akihabara go at night, when all the neon is lit!
- iuguy 16y ago
  There's also multiple smaller downtown labyrinths in downtown Riyadh, and 'computer souks' across the middle east. The first time I went to these places I was amazed and bought some really odd electronics (I bought a GSM jammer in Riyadh) but when I was back earlier this year I noticed that all of the wacky stuff was available on the Internet.
  - berntb 16y ago
    I might buy one too, for the toy value, but my mind boggles... what use is a GSM jammer?! In a city, anyone with a web browser could do geocoding (address -> longitude/latitude) anyway. Is there some military/criminal application? E.g. to stop automatic targeting or to hinder automatic GPS on cameras from kidnapped people?
    - barrkel 16y ago
      GSM != GPS. A GSM jammer would block phones, e.g. in restaurants, cinemas, business presentations, etc.
      - berntb 16y ago
        Sorry for wasted time. I know I have no simultaneous capacity and shouldn't read/write while distracted. :-(
    - iuguy 16y ago
      I ended up buying it because Saudis bring mobiles into meetings. This would make a 10 minute meeting about an hour and a half long because a senior manager gets and takes a lot of calls, except when I'm in the meeting.
- jarin 16y ago
  I have fond memories of buying cheap laptops, modded Xboxes, and tons of DVDs for a few bucks each at Wan Chai Computer Centre in Hong Kong and Sim Lim Square in Singapore when I was on deployment in the Navy.
empika 16y ago
Ah man, I really could have done with this in May. Oh well, was still super fun discovering it all myself (i think i went in pretty much every shop in akihabara over the course of about a week!) Will have to visit the hacker space next time i get the funds together to visit :)
olalonde 16y ago
Reminds me of HuaQiangBei in Shenzhen, China. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RafPma9_t8Q&feature=fvw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RafPma9_t8Q&feature=fvw
jdietrich 16y ago
Japan is played out. China is where it's at - http://www.bunniestudios.com/blog/?p=147 http://www.bunniestudios.com/blog/?p=147 Japanese culture seems to have become dominated by consumption, whereas China still has a big thing for production.
elblanco 16y ago
Reminds me a lot of http://thedailykimchi.blogspot.com/2006/08/yongsan-electronics-market.html http://thedailykimchi.blogspot.com/2006/08/yongsan-electroni...

59 points by nfriedly 16y ago

I went to Akihabara on a visit to Tokyo a few years back... I have to say I was pretty unimpressed. Visiting Japan is a mind-blowing experience but once you have got over the crazy ways they do retail in general, Akihabara itself doesn't have much to offer IMHO. The few unusual stores that are there are the ones the guide shows, like the discount test equipment/oscilloscope store (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGPddaXFkXU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGPddaXFkXU). Sure they are kind of cool but most of it is just regular electronics at prices that were not competitive. The internet really changed things - Akihabara was the place to buy unusual and rare electronics but the chances are you can buy anything you see in Akihabara in the US via the Internet, at a cheaper price point. I'm sure you can buy those second-hand oscilloscopes at similar discount prices via specialized online retailers. Do check out the video of the labyrinth 'department stores', which are buildings full of small vendors (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKmwIBfT5U4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKmwIBfT5U4). I used to visit buildings like that in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia that were several levels just full of pirated software - all dark and full of neon, it was like something out of Blade Runner. Roll-up shutters to lock-up style units with all this software on the wall - patrons would just pick off the wall the names of the software they wanted (Windows, MS Office, Photoshop, etc) and some kid would run off and bring them the disks at $1 a pop. Every now and again one of these units would be selling noodles or soup or pot-stickers. But again, the Internet has disrupted that market and you don't see them as much (http://ahcheo.blogspot.com/2009/06/todays-imbi-plaza.html http://ahcheo.blogspot.com/2009/06/todays-imbi-plaza.html) - I guess because if you are interested in obtaining pirated software you can do it via Bit Torrent. Speaking of fake stuff, check out the "Mac Store" in Akihabara: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dotben/53700249/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/dotben/53700249/ This photo, http://www.flickr.com/photos/dotben/53699076/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/dotben/53699076/, also reminded me that if you do visit Akihabara go at night, when all the neon is lit!

iuguy 16y ago
There's also multiple smaller downtown labyrinths in downtown Riyadh, and 'computer souks' across the middle east. The first time I went to these places I was amazed and bought some really odd electronics (I bought a GSM jammer in Riyadh) but when I was back earlier this year I noticed that all of the wacky stuff was available on the Internet.
- berntb 16y ago
  I might buy one too, for the toy value, but my mind boggles... what use is a GSM jammer?! In a city, anyone with a web browser could do geocoding (address -> longitude/latitude) anyway. Is there some military/criminal application? E.g. to stop automatic targeting or to hinder automatic GPS on cameras from kidnapped people?
  - barrkel 16y ago
    GSM != GPS. A GSM jammer would block phones, e.g. in restaurants, cinemas, business presentations, etc.
    - berntb 16y ago
      Sorry for wasted time. I know I have no simultaneous capacity and shouldn't read/write while distracted. :-(
  - iuguy 16y ago
    I ended up buying it because Saudis bring mobiles into meetings. This would make a 10 minute meeting about an hour and a half long because a senior manager gets and takes a lot of calls, except when I'm in the meeting.
jarin 16y ago
I have fond memories of buying cheap laptops, modded Xboxes, and tons of DVDs for a few bucks each at Wan Chai Computer Centre in Hong Kong and Sim Lim Square in Singapore when I was on deployment in the Navy.

empika 16y ago

Ah man, I really could have done with this in May. Oh well, was still super fun discovering it all myself (i think i went in pretty much every shop in akihabara over the course of about a week!) Will have to visit the hacker space next time i get the funds together to visit :)

olalonde 16y ago

Reminds me of HuaQiangBei in Shenzhen, China. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RafPma9_t8Q&feature=fvw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RafPma9_t8Q&feature=fvw

jdietrich 16y ago

Japan is played out. China is where it's at - http://www.bunniestudios.com/blog/?p=147 http://www.bunniestudios.com/blog/?p=147 Japanese culture seems to have become dominated by consumption, whereas China still has a big thing for production.

elblanco 16y ago

Reminds me a lot of http://thedailykimchi.blogspot.com/2006/08/yongsan-electronics-market.html http://thedailykimchi.blogspot.com/2006/08/yongsan-electroni...