Tokyo’s otaku mecca is getting ready to roll out the red carpet. Last week the first Akihabara International Film Festival was announced for November 9 to 11 of this year. The festival will reportedly have a red carpet, opening ceremony, premiere and special screenings, talk …Read more »
It’s no secret that as a country Japan is very interested in bringing in foreign tourists, though that endeavor obviously took a hit from COVID-19. However, an article at the Japanese paper The Mainichi notes that tourism is beginning to rise again, including in the …Read more »
Nice find from ANN’s Kim Morrissy on the Twitter this week: a trading card shop in Akihabara, Tokyo’s mecca for otaku merch, has apparently had enough of smelly customers. The official Twitta account for the shop announced a new shop policy on Twitter this week: …Read more »
Akihabara: Tokyo’s mecca for otaku. Now Akibazens can even get their teeth worked on in otaku style at a new dental clinic in the neighborhood. The main attraction of the dental clinic, located right in the heart of Akiba, is hygienists who dress in maid …Read more »
The COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t hit Japan as hard as other places in the world: there are only about 600 new cases per day, and life is relatively back to normal after a quasi-lockdown earlier this year. Still, many places are seeing the impact of less …Read more »
The Sega Akihabara Building 2, located in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, has been a hot spot for tourists since it opened in 2003. Unfortunately, that will soon change, as the business will close at the end of the month. SoraNews24 translated their announcement: “Notice …Read more »
A few days ago we posted about a billboard that went up in Akihabara and caught everyone’s attention for being particularly… busty. Some folks weren’t too happy about having a building-size monument to massive mammaries, and it looks like the local officials took their complaints to heart. …Read more »
When you go to Tokyo’s otaku mecca of Akihabara, you expect to be bombarded with images of questionable taste. As captured by a few Twitter users, a new ad is pushing the limits of even the most skewed otaku tastes, offering up multiple stories worth …Read more »
Okay, this one’s going to take a bit of unpacking. First off: October 3 is the birthday of Madoka Kaname, the main character of 2011 anime series Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Second: there’s a pachinko parlor in Akihabara called Island that’s known for its quantity of Puella …Read more »
Steins;Gate (which turns 10 this year!) takes place in Chiyoda, one of Tokyo’s 23 wards and the home of Akihabara, which we suspect you may have heard of. Anyway, if for some reason you were planning a trip to Tokyo and didn’t have Chiyoda in …Read more »
NBC Universal might not be the first name that pops into mind when it comes to anime, but its Japan branch is actually involved in the creation of several anime series. Now it’s getting in on the time-honored business of “anime cafe in Akihabara.” Anime …Read more »
Leaks, hacks, identity theft, fraud: online crime is on the rise around the world, and Japan is no exception. But not to worry: AKB48 is on the case. Three members of the Akihabara-based idol group appeared at an event with law enforcement in Akihabara to …Read more »
Your average Sunday in Akihabara means lots of anime, game and maid-obsessed shoppers and onlookers quietly making their way to and fro. But on April 23, Akihabara was the sight of a bit of tension when a suspicious object necessitated the evacuation of the station …Read more »
If you follow general-interest Japan news, you’re probably well aware of the dropping rates of childbirth and marriage affecting the country. Though the problem isn’t limited to – or, as some mainstream outlets would have you believe, because of – otaku, they too are a …Read more »
Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale hits theaters in Japan February 18, and one noodle shop in otaku mecca Akihabara is gearing up for the release by getting a major SAO makeover. The Akiba branch of Nakau, which specializes in Kyoto-style udon, has been plastered in …Read more »
Matt Schley
Danica Davidson
Joseph Luster
