Akihabara!

We spent a great weekend in Tokyo, probably our last for a while. We'll be going through again on our way to Bangkok soon, but being unhurried and having two days really is a completely different experience than visiting a favorite restaurant or shop on the way to the airport.

My goal on Saturday was to 'get an estimate' from a vein specialist, but that will be a post for another day. The plan for Sunday was to eat a huge breakfast and spend the day walking it off among the crowds in Akihabara, which is Tokyo's 'Electric Town'. This has long been the realm of audiophiles and East-bloc agents searching for replacement vacuum tubes, but it has grown to be the realm of legions of nerds and geeks looking for the latest in gadget/gizmo technology.

I happened to be considering a replacement pc for myself, and possibly establishing another wireless network at the 'other place'. I knew local sources for both of those needs, though, so mostly we were there for the fun of it. We found loads of digital cameras (digicam) of the newest variety, plus even more of last-years models hugely discounted. Same with notebook pc's, digital audio players, electronic dictionaries, portable navigation systems, computer gaming hardware and software... whew!

Here is an example of some of the more mainstream wares:



Yes, those are toilet seats (washlets) that warm, rinse, massage, and even air-dry the user. Those prices are right, too, at $500-800!

Here is a scooter (autobai) with at least its own satellite navigation system, among surely loads of other gadgets:



Also increasing with the influx of geeks is the number of girls encouraging the kinks of the guys hopelesly lost in fantasy games. One shop was hosting some 'maid' theme of costume play (cosplay), and beyond the organized event, girls dressing and behaving as 'maids' could be found everywhere. Here is one taking her task seriously in a random spot of a department store, complete with sudsy sponge:



Anyway it was all a great time and surely we only scratched the surface of this tiny corner of Tokyo. Watch this space for our love hotel expose, coming soon!