Akihabara: A Tech and Pop Culture Wonderland - Dive in Tokyo

Akihabara the heart of otaku culture anime games manga the streets are a kaleidoscope of colors characters and specialty stores of all [Music] kinds it's teaming with eager sightseers and Shoppers so how did the area become a destination for enthusiasts it has to do with its long history as a vital transportation and Logistics [Music] center today we dive into Akihabara and unravel its electric [Music] charms Akihabara is located between Tokyo Station and ueno station served by multiple train lines it's one of the city's major transport hubs hi I'm Benjamin Boz and today I'm speaking to you from akih Habra a center of Japanese subculture if you're into anime or Japanese video games maybe you've heard of this place I've been coming here for over 20 years ever since I was in high school I'm so excited to do a deep dive of Akihabara with you today let's see what's waiting for [Music] us Benjamin is originally from New York his love of video games and Anime growing up led him to move to Japan in 2007 he's an author and culture consultant sharing Japanese culture with the [Music] world we start our day with a walk down akih Hab main thorough [Music] fair oh wow look at the figurines that they have here my goodness there is quite a selection of them it's it's always fun to come and and take a look at these especially when they're out of the box cuz it's it's like seeing your favorite cartoon characters come to life there are shops offering not just video games and Anime titles but a variety of merchandise based on fictional characters figurines are especially [Music] popular part of the reason why they're so popular is because they're very intricately designed and and created you can see crease marks not just on his muscles but also on his clothes even to the the ankle bindings there the the detail work is quite fine oh wow look at this these games are from decades ago wow I recognized these from when I was first starting to study Japanese I wanted to learn the language so that I could play video games in Japanese Benjamin finds a classic game console that was popular in the 1990s the neighborhood is full of stores selling used Collectibles like these you'll also come across all kinds of old electronic appliances wow some of them are even missing uh some Key Parts hand portable radio that uh okay they they they still sell these batteries look at what we have over here it's like remote control Heaven wow these types of secondhand items are sold at bargain prices part of the fun of coming here is going hunting for rare finds whoa look at all of these each one of these little machines is selling a a different type of miniature toy and they're all different wow one these vending machines sell what are called capsule toys just Insert Coins turn the handle and out comes a little egg each machine contains several different toys from a series and capsules are dispensed randomly ah this one is gold colored so it's very shiny this one is a popular anime character the toys are designed exclusively for these machines and available in limited numbers many are based on anime characters and are highly coveted by [Music] fans a wide array of machines has been set up throughout the neighborhood and there are even capsule toy shops with a bounty of treasures to discover the vending machines have become a major local [Music] draw next we go for a stroll along a busy road on the opposite side of akih Haba station wow look at this place this looks uh shall we say a little more classic than the other stores that we've seen today let's check it out wonder what they sell here look at these These are classical Japanese confectionaries this shop specializes in traditional Japanese confectionary made by hand it's one of the oldest businesses in the area [Music] Nishi nobuki is the Seventh Generation owner he's a lifelong Akihabara resident and a local history buff so we asked him how it became such a vibrant area here's Akihabara in the late 19th century at the time Tokyo was prone into fires and so a strip of open space was set up here to prevent any Flames from [Music] spreading in 1890 it became the site of akih Haba station that paved the way for the area to become the bustling Hub we know [Music] today initially akih station served as a freight [Music] terminal large quantities of firewood food and other Commodities arrived from the northeastern tohoku region to support the lives of Tokyo [Music] residents it became a key logistic center with the cargo handling area in full operation day in and day out Nishi says there's a spot nearby where there remains a Connection to the Past it's in a small Park right next to the station here's a map of the area around the time the station was built where the park sits today there used to be a Waterway connecting the station's loading dock to the K river which was one of the city's major transport [Music] routes cargo that arrived at the station was transferred to boats which then made their way out onto the [Music] river we head across the street from the park to see what the river looks like today 35 years after the station began operations it opened to passenger [Music] traffic the growing flow of goods and people led the wholesalers and retailers popping up around the station one particularly massive facility was built on the North [Music] side the cond vegetable and fruit Market opened for business in 1928 it was built on the same strip of open land as akih Haba station it served Tokyo residents for about 60 years until the growing Urban population led the market to relocate to a bigger space in 1989 today this side is occupied by an office building whose tenants include major telecommunications [Music] [Music] [Music] companies in the mid 20th century a new current began to flow through the area Nishi tells us there's a building nearby where some shops from the era endure so we decided to check it out I've been coming to aiab for years but I've never been inside here before let's see what's inside look at this it's like it's like a little Alleyway it's so narrow look look at all of these little Parts in pieces there are so many of them and they're different sizes wow what is all of this the Stalls inside are packed to the brim with electronic components it's a Wonderland for those who aspire to build their own devices with about 30 shops spread across multiple floors this is one of Japan's top destinations for DIY Electronics oh my goodness and they are cheap this one's 20 Yen oh there's one here that's 15 Yen they're selling things here that are under a quarter it's rare to find such a variety of specialty parts that can be purchased individually so they get customers from across the [Music] country this man is an amateur radio Enthusiast he's been coming here since he was a kid to buy [Music] parts it's another side of akih Hab tucked away from the pop culture Pizzazz look at what they have here this Shop sells semiconductor components W these these look like pins they're so small these pin-like items are dodes which are basic devices use to control or regulate the flow of electric current in a circuit owner Yoshida Yuji has a reputation as a semiconductor expert among Electronics enthusiasts he says people come to his shop to buy parts to build radio [Music] receivers this shopping area has roots that stretch back to the Golden Age of radio as [Music] entertainment in the 1940s shop selling electronic components began sprinting up around the station because radios were so expensive at the time it was common to make your own it said that radio Parts practically flew off the shelves the shopping area became one of akih Hab main attractions but recently their number has been steadily declining due to devices growing increasingly complex and Shop owners having trouble finding successors this long-standing part seller opened its doors in 1951 they specialize in capacitors which are devices for storing electrical energy they've kept the business going as a [Music] [Laughter] family hi kubota's daughter satami plans to take over the shop one day she's an audio buff who enjoys building speakers in her free time and when it comes to the Shop's inventory her knowledge is second to none [Music] she says she's been into Electronics since she was [Music] little the community has high hopes for the next generation of shop owners who will carry this Legacy into the future the specialty part shops paved the way for an influx of electric appliance stores in the second half of the 20th century as TVs and refrigerators evolved as consumer products home appliances became a status symbol among the masses in the 1970s when more than 90% of Japanese households owned at least one color TV akih Haba was home to as many as 500 such retailers it said that the local market accounted for over 5% of the country's total home appliance sales this Mass retailer is located by the station it was founded in 1951 inside you'll find everything from light bulbs to major [Music] appliances Ono Kazi is the third generation president he's been working here for 40 years [Music] Ono says there's a corner of the store he takes special pride in could it C boom boxes became popular in Japan in the80s this store still carries them for older customers who listen to cassettes Ono says recently the format is making a comeback among young people into Retro [Music] Tech they also carry a wide selection of record players sure to appeal to vinyl [Music] enthusiasts one thing they don't offer is smartphones which are featured prominently at many other retailers instead they've chosen to focus on the products they know best for many years akih Haba had a reputation for its home appliances but Ono says the number of retailers declined sharply in the '90s [Music] in Japan personal computers began to spread widely in the late '90s they were selling so well that many Home Appliance retailers in Akihabara completely changed their product lineup today only a small number Remain the grow growth of the PC market also led to the opening of stores specializing in PC games which drew a younger crowd gradually more businesses began to cater to Gamers and their love of Manga and Anime and Akihabara became known as an otaku Haven meanwhile Ono continued to sell washing machines refrigerators and other household appliances he actively engaged customers on the sales floor and made sure to take care of his regulars and so his store [Music] endures ah akih Haba continues to evolve but that doesn't mean it's lost touch with its Past walk around and you'll find stores that have been here since it's Heyday as a home electronics District this store opened its doors in 1951 it's known for its audio cables which are used to transmit audio signals from one device to another its products helped power the Golden Age of vinyl [Music] records this tour here was founded in [Music] 1946 ham radio allows amateur operators to connect with fellow enthusiasts around the world in Japan the hobby saw a surge in popularity in the 70s and it still enjoys a passionate [Music] following thanks to stores like these akih Haba continues to thrive as a Gathering Place for hobbyists of all [Music] stripes [Music] in the early 2000s a new local Trend grew out of the popularity of anime and video games here's something you see a lot of in Akihabara Akihabara sure does love meds everywhere you look there are signs and billboards advertising made [Music] cafes these establishments are themed cafes where customers can enjoy conversation and games with weight staff dressed up as [Music] M the first made Cafe in akaba opened its doors in 2001 and was a huge hit with [Applause] otaku today made cafes have become a popular local attraction enjoyed by a wide [Music] demographic more than 20 years on there are currently over aund of them in the area look at this wow the one we're visiting today opened in 2002 by even firsttime customers are welcomed this way to encourage them to make themselves at home oh this is mAh the manager she's been in this business for 18 years she says she's loved Akihabara since she was [Music] little [Music] Mah is a dieh hard cosplay she says she started working at a maid Cafe because she wanted to dress up in the costume while some see it as a curious hobby Akihabara is a safe space for people to cosplay freely in public [Music] Mah believes it's that local character that made the area an ideal place for maid cafes to take [Music] root in 2020 Mah took the lead in establishing a networking group for maids across akih Haba she hopes that they can connect collaborate and boost made Cafe culture further establishing it as a local [Music] mainstate [Music] [Music] for 20 years ago when I first came here I was super into video games and Anime I did not know anything about Maids I did not know much about Electronics but on this trip I've learned that they're all different parts of Akihabara the akih habo of the past is still visible in the Akihabara of today and I'm really looking forward to seeing what the Akihabara of the future is going to be like

Channel: NHK WORLD-JAPAN

Views: 111,692

Keywords:

Id: kLaveaWaQy4

Length: 28min 6sec (1686 seconds)

Published: Sun Mar 31 2024