Akihabara and Jimbo-cho

Akihabara and Jimbo-cho Review

Akihabara was at one time the only place Tokyoites would go to buy cutting-edge electronic gadgets, but the area has lost its aura of exclusivity thanks to the Internet and the big discount chains that have sprung up around the city. Still, for its sheer variety of products and foreigner-friendliness, Akihabara has the newcomers beat—and a visit remains essential to any Tokyo shopping spree. Salesclerks speak decent English at most of the major shops (and many of the smaller ones), and the big chains offer duty-free and export items. Be sure to poke around the backstreets for smaller stores that sell used and unusual electronic goods. The area has also become the center of the otaku (nerd) boom, with loads of shops offering enough video games and manga (sophisticated comic books) to satisfy even the most fastidious geek. West of Akihabara, in the used-bookstore district of Jimbo-cho, you'll find pretty much whatever you're looking for in dictionaries and art books, rare and out-of-print editions (Western and Japanese), and prints.