Video:Japan Travel: Where to Shop for Electronics in Tokyo
with Nathan BuckTokyo's Akihabara district is known for its electronic mega-stores and modern culture. Learn more about this vibrant area of Tokyo, Japan in this About.com travel video.See Transcript
Transcript:Japan Travel: Where to Shop for Electronics in Tokyo
Hi my name is Nathan Buck for About.com and today I am going to tell you about the electronics and manga mecca of Japan: the Akihabara district of Tokyo.
The Akihabara Disctict in Tokyo, Japan
Akihabara is the place to go if you're shopping for electronics, cameras, cell phones - and in the past 20 years it has also become the center of Otaku culture, which is a term that loosely covers the large percentage of Japanese who are obsessed with video games, manga, comic books and anime. Akihabara began to develop it's current character just after World War 2 when a black market in radio parts, vacuum tubes and transistors developed along the Chuo Dori street, close to a local electrical engineering college.
Now the Akihabara district has everything from small stores selling secondhand and grey market electronic goods to huge multi-level superstores. The biggest of these is the Yodobashi Camera mega-store, just across from Akihabara station which has not only cameras, but just about every other electric or electronic item you can think of from rice cookers, to televisions to vacuum cleaners.
Visit Duty Free Electronic Stores in Tokyo
If you come to Akihabara looking for electronics items to bring overseas make sure to visit one of the stores that specializes in Duty Free items that are made for foreign use. These stores generally offer tax free goods for purchases over 10,000 Yen and models with non-Japanese documentation and warranties. Akky and LAOX are the two major stores that specialize in electronics for use overseas. Additionally, Akihabara is the place to come if you're looking for Manga and Anime comic books and figures.
Experience Tokyo's Modern Culture
The other major districts of Tokyo that have large concentrations of electronics stores are Shinjuku and Shibuya. However, for most Akihabara is still the best place to find cutting-edge electronics good and simultaneously experience a side of Japanese culture which is all about being hyper-modern, trendy and sexy.
And that's a little bit of information about where to shop for electronics in Tokyo. To learn more please visit About.com.