| Akihibara, land of the microchip. This
is undoubtedly the mecca for all things shiny and electrical. Nestled
in the middle of Tokyo is a mile of open-storefront establishments (many
5 or more floors) displaying technology the states won't see for at least
a year, if ever. The variety runs from high tech visual and audio
hardware (large-dimension flatsceen HDTV anyone?) to software houses providing
for every game system and computer variety known. A veritable heaven
for any technology addict. The open storefronts are a bit of a shock;
it speaks of a great deal of trust in the citizenry. Speaking of
trust, there's been almost no evidence of police in Tokyo. A scattering
of crossing guards, but little more. Certainly no police cars.
Its an amazing site for someone used to a constant police presence.
The arcades in Akihibara are an equal match to their store counterparts. Almost always multifloored (and usually owned by Sega), they are by far the best of their kind in the city. Games that exist nowhere else in the world can be played here. A few notes need to be made here as to the way such arcades are set up. Firstly, there are almost no games that are played standing. The grand majority are sit-down consoles with stools provided. An ashtray is provided with each machine; an strong indicator of just how many people smoke here. Competitive games are not played in the traditional american side-by-side format. Instead, two consoles are connected back to back; each individual gets their own screen. For the most part one will never see their competitor. Draw what conclusions you will from this; its a very comfortable format. |