Heaven, a.k.a, Akihabara

Followers of creationism will tell you that God created Earth in six days, resting on the seventh. That's not entirely true, because on the seventh day God created Akihabara.

I wasn't really planning on going to Akihabara today, but a sudden realization struck me when I was having breakfast this morning -- I don't have any nerdy useless video game/anime merchandise in my possession yet! Said and done, I went to Akihabara! For those of you unfamiliar with the name, it's a famous disctrict in Tokyo where you can get virtually ANY electronics regardless of size, colour, rarity, origin or purpose (and believe me, there are strange electronics made for bizarre purposes here... it is Japan after all). While most cities have long narrow market passages with fruit vendors, street kitchens and so forth, Akihabara has electronic markets. Those who apprently can't afford owning an own floor in this megapolis just do as the vendors do, open up on the street! The result is quite amazing.

Anyway, I went right for the main street to look up some otaku (lit. nerd) shops for me to browse. It bacame apparent right away that you don't really have to look for them, since "they" are huge colossal buildings that are basically everywhere. Apart from electronics, Akihabara is world-known for its otaku culture. This is *the* place to go when you want to be exposed to manga, anime, video games etc. This is also the main district of the famous 'maid cafés', which are cafes with japanese girls dressed as manga characters, "interracting" with the customers in various ways.

The first shop I visited was an 8-floor manga/anime/game shop. It's strange, nearly all shops I visited had exactly 8 floors. Most of them also had its hentai-floor on the 8th. The number 8 is a good number here in Japan. If I remember correctly it has to do with the chinese kanji which is supposed to be lucky. Anyway, the japanese like it. Hentai on the 8th... coincidence?

Photography is strictly forbidden in every shop it seems, so I had to us my cunning to get some pictures! Unfortunately, I was born with utter misfortune, so of course I was going to have trouble with the law...

I was thinking, "now here in the passage way between the floors there will be no one noticing me taking pictures. I might as well photograph the floor map and show my friends what they have on each floor!" aaaaand snap, a cop walks by the very fraction of the second in which I'm taking the god damn picture...

No harm no foul, I'm still here aren't I? Anyway, so I'm on the first floor. This section is exclusively Totoro. For those of you who don't know Totoro -- bless you. For those of you who do, well, don't spread the word because the world is not yet ready to be exposed to the weirdness of this anime. Totoro has been the major nuisance to me since I first arrived in Japan. The fact that everyone seems to love the show makes it even more annoying. The characters... oh God, the characters. They are so beyond creepy I can't begin to express my distaste for it. But you know the guy in the movie "Troy" who kissed the man who killed his son, just to be able to say that he has gone through the most impossible rite of passage? Well, I did a similiar thing (not kissing a guy though). I bought a mascot Totoro character! AAAARGH. It's sooooo creepy. But now I've truly climbed my Everest.

And voilá, here it is. Isn't it the most creepiest thing you've ever seen? It's a show for kids, what the hell! Even adult audiences would get traumatized for life just by glancing at it. Anyway... now this abomination is on my bed and I don't quite know what to do with it.

Okay, so leaving Totoro now. The floors 2 - 7 were divine! Again, it was forbidden to snap pictures but I managed to sneak off a few. One of these floors (I forget which) specialized in mecha toys. 'Mecha' is common tongue here for anything that's associated with huge robots with weapons. I mean, there were enough robots here to make my nephue Melvin stay awake for a month. Oh, and the first floor (apart from the creepy Totoro) had lots of Mickey Mouse stuff (which, in turn, would make my sister Krista sleepless for a week).

A typical mecha collector's item

When I had spent an hour or so at this otaku shop, I decided to try another one. Said and done -- I crossed the street and entered yet another 8-floor shop. Here they had more of a true otaku approach. Not much cuteness (read: weirdness) like the other shop, but more hardcore gaming/anime stuff. Of course they had a hentai floor too (8th). The first floor of this shop was retro-themed. I don't think I've ever seen so many NES games in my life, nor heard so many Super Mario sound effects simultaneously. The 5th floor housed stuff from... well, probably eve video game ever created. I actually ended up buying some Final Fantasy merchandise!

Here are the remaining pictures and videos that I shot on my adventure in Electric Town, enjoy!

It's the cactuar! From Final Fantasy! And it's mine!

This little fellow now serves as my mobile phone accessory! I'm truly becoming japanese...

Pictures of Jap-girls in synthesis

A less subtle sex shop in the iddle

Most buildings are anime-themed. Notice the (how can you miss it?) Code Geass poster -- they are everywhere in Akihabara!

No building matching the other, Tokyo in a nutshell.

Gundam floor. So many robots...

I can almost hear Sayam's warcry from the other side of the world

The clothed ones. I don't know if the general public wants to see the naked ones.

Metaru Gia

And of course the life-sized robots

Why so serious?

Still can't believe I bought this loathesome creature of the dark... I mean, this is not something sane people should find appealing!

VIDEOS

http://www.mediafire.com/?sekrufjdgtn

(Thanks David for uploading)