Gadgets and Maids in Akihabara

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Awww…. Akihabara. A place where all of your electronic and fantasy needs are in one place. Before going there, I have heard a lot of people describe the place as an electronic heaven with very cheap prices or as an Otaku paradise (An Otaku is an extreme anime/manga nerd) with all the maid and anime shops. From what I experienced, I would say both of those descriptions are extreme generalizations.

First, there are a ton of electronics shops. They do have a plethora of electronic goods to chose from as well, however their prices are anything but cheap. For example, several “cheap” shops had 2TB external hard drives for about 18,000 yen (which is about $218). But with the weak dollar, you can pick one up on newegg.com for around $130 with free shipping! Most electronic items that you see in America where also displayed but for most items it was about a 20 percent mark-up. I got tired to try to find something to buy at a good price so Karen and I went to the next best place…a maid cafe.

I think Karen and I had somewhat low expectations for the maid cafe. For one, when I asked for directions to the Popopure maid cafe from one it’s maids trying to get customers on the street, we were shuttled through the crowded streets and into a small ally-way entrance that lead to the elevator. A little sketchy at first, but hey its Akihabara. I was surprised first by how clean the place was. Then I noticed how many men where in the cafe-only one other male besides myself. That left 7 women excluding the 5 other maid cafe workers. It was pleasant knowing that this was not an Otaku filled cafe.

This cafe was different from the other ones we skipped because we got to dubb an anime in this cafe. Karen and I had a blast and I should have done two characters like her. I think if I had the change, I would go back again.

Overall, this place is another must visit in Japan. I’m sure that things will probably get more wild in the Spring and Summer times, which would yield some great photos and video.