Akihabara

Well I was going to do a post about the area I was in and was taking pictures when some of the other foreign students said they were going to Akihabara to buy some stuff and asked if I wanted to go. I said sure not knowing what I was doing.

Akihabara is known as perhaps the largest electronic shopping area in the world. It was pretty cool to see all the different kinds of electronics. However, by the 4th store you started seeing the same stuff over and over again. Some of the guys I was with were looking at cameras or alarm clocks and Nintendo DS games. The part that sucked was when you found out the section of the store you need to go was on the 6th or 8th floor.

Over all I have to comment that Japanese electronics are generally a lot more expensive then what we pay in the US. I saw the exact same digital camera and similar ones that I was looking at going for about $100 more here. DVD’s were generally selling at about 3,500 to 3,000 yen or about $32-$28. The only thing I did see that was similar in price was some of the Nintendo DS games. The coolest part is that there are these little ally ways that sell all kind of electronic component you can think of. One guy specialized in selling vacuum tubes.

We did stop at a little café and we had all had something to drink before heading back. I ordered a Fanta that was a dark green color and kind of surprised me. Fanta is supposed to be orange.

The commute back and forth took about 30 or 40 minutes. We were there for about 2 to 3 hours. The only thing I bought was a small alarm clock and an iron. I was tempted to buy other thing . . . but I was strong. Actually it was just the thought that I can get it cheaper in the US that made the difference.

I am doing better today. I am try to see some of the culture differences as perhaps a different and most of the time better way of doing things. I think I am over the initial shock and am settling in. This trip wore me out. It was rather hot and humid today.

Akihabara

Akihabara


The ba-ka- Gaijin at Akihabara


Radio Shack has nothing on these guys


FYI on a side note the black guy (he calls himself the black guy so I am not going to say African-American) in the top two pics, his name is Brian and he is a student at Univeristy of Texas. Of the five of us that went he told us to just look for him if we got lost since he stood out the most . . . I guessing that is why he got in my pics as well.