Akihabara 2802 223055861 2008-07-02T11:04:32Z DAJF 322936 [[WP:UNDO|Undid]] revision 223055684 by [[Special:Contributions/125.60.243.76|125.60.243.76]] ([[User talk:125.60.243.76|talk]]) uncited minor event [[Image:Akiba denkigai.jpg|right|thumb|Akihabara in 2007]] [[Image:Animate+Toranoana.jpg|right|thumb|Akihabara Buildings in 2007]] {{nihongo|'''Akihabara'''|秋葉原}} ("Field of Autumn Leaves"), also known as {{nihongo|'''Akihabara Electric Town'''|秋葉原電気街|Akihabara Denki Gai}}, is an area of [[Tokyo]], [[Japan]]. It is located less than five minutes by rail from [[Tokyo Station]]. Its name is frequently shortened to ''Akiba'' in Japan. While there is an official locality named Akihabara nearby, part of [[Taitō, Tokyo|Taitō-ku]], the area known to most people as ''Akihabara'' (including the railway station of the [[Akihabara Station|same name]]) is actually Soto-Kanda, a part of [[Chiyoda, Tokyo|Chiyoda]]-ku. Akihabara is a major shopping area for electronic, computer, [[anime]], and [[otaku]] goods, including new and used items. New items are mostly to be found on the main street, Chūōdōri, with many kinds of used items found in the back streets of Soto Kanda 3-[[Japanese addressing system|chōme]]. First-hand parts for PC-building are readily available from a variety of stores. Tools, electrical parts, wires, microsized cameras and similar items are found in the cramped passageways of Soto Kanda 1-chōme (near the station). Foreign tourists tend to visit the big name shops like Laox or other speciality shops near the station, though there is more variety and lower prices at locales a little further away. Akihabara gained some fame through being home to one of the first stores devoted to personal robots and robotics. ==Timeline== [[Image:Akihabara picture3.jpg|right|thumb|Between stores in Akihabara]] [[Image:Akihabara 916.jpg|right|thumb| Akihabara [[Dell]] Shop]] * The area was just out of Sujikai-gomon [[city gate]] (present [[Manseibashi|Mansei bridge]]) which was one of the city gates (Mitsuke) of old [[Edo]] (Tokyo). It was the gateway from inner Edo to northern and northwestern Japan and Kan’ei-ji temple in [[Ueno, Tokyo|Ueno]]. Many dealers, craftsmen and relatively lower class [[samurai]] lived there. * '''1869''': A major blaze destroyed the area. It brought about the decision to clear the 30,000 square metres of land in order to keep future fires from getting into inner Tokyo city. * '''1870''': In this cleared land a small [[Shinto]] shrine once in old [[Edo Castle]] was built. The shrine’s name was {{lang|ja|鎮火社|Chinka-sha}}, which means "the extinguisher shrine"). * But many downtown Tokyo residents misunderstood the shrine. They thought that the deity Akiba or Akiha ({{lang|ja|秋葉}}) which was the most popular fire-controlling deity in central and eastern Japan must have been enshrined in it. They also called the cleared land "Akiba ga hara" or "Akibappara" which means "the deity Akiba’s square". * '''1888''': The shrine moved to Matsugaya, near [[Asakusa]]. * '''1890''': Extension of the rail line (now the [[Tōhoku Main Line]]) from Ueno to Akihabara. At first there was no passenger service, for south of the station was the Akihabara cargo docks, where goods from all over the world would flow into Kanda by river and be hauled up the east bank of the canal to be ticketed at the central cargo transport window. * From the [[Meiji period|Meiji]] to the [[Shōwa period]], as the electric railway improved transport to Akihabara and the surrounds, and especially due to the growth in dealerships, the district was designated as Seika Shijō ({{lang|ja|青果市場}}: vegetables and fruits market). * '''1925''': Akihabara-Tokyo station connection opened as the Tohoku line extended to Tokyo. * '''1930''': The temporary [[Manseibashi Subway Station]] opens; it is closed in November 1931. * '''1932''': As the Green Line station opened with an interconnection, Akihabara became an important transfer point. * '''1935''': Official establishment of Seika Shijō. (Kanda Seika Shijō). * '''1936''': The site of [[Manseibashi Station#JNR Manseibashi Station|Manseibashi Station]] was closed (later the Transportation Museum—now closed). Railway mania had reached its zenith. The area became the number one place for electrical supplies. *'''Circa 1945-1955''' After [[World War II]], a black market at Kanda developed around the first school of electrical manufacturing (now the [[Tokyo Denki University]]:{{lang|ja|東京電機大学}}). Clustered around the [[Sōbu Main Line|Sobu Main line]], what began as a host of electrical stores selling [[vacuum tube]]s, radio goods and electrical items to the students, has today come to be known as Electric Town. Called "musen" or "wireless" shops, they were the first to begin selling radios. With the advent of wireless and radio goods, people came to be much more connected. * '''1960s''': Thanks to advanced technology, the rival [[Den Den Town|Nipponbashi]] district of [[Osaka]] took its position as an equally prominent Electric Town, selling vast volumes of household [[consumer]] [[durable good]]s such as [[television]]s, [[refrigerator]]s and [[washing machine]]s. * '''1980s''': Accompanying the spread of the [[personal computer]] in family homes ("Famikom"), local shops increasingly began to deal in [[computer game]]s, and major gaming chain stores appeared on the market. * '''1989''': Kanda Seika Shijō moved to [[Ōta-ku]], south district of Tokyo. * '''1990s''': With the Yamada and Kojima household chain stores appearing throughout the suburban outskirts of Tokyo, the sale of consumer durables at Akihabara was greatly reduced, however the sale of computer goods increased in equal measure. * '''1991''':[[Sofmap]] begins its rise as a major seller of new and used Japan-market computer parts and software, including popular systems from [[NEC]] (PC-8801 and 9801), [[Sharp]] (X68000) and [[Fujitsu]] (FM-Towns). Sofmap chain stores begin popping up in different locations in Akihabara. * '''1994''': The Windows PC boom and accompanying computer store growth began. * It was also during the 1990s that the anime craze grew out of computer games, and the youth group known as otaku began to pour into Akihabara. * '''Since 2000''', with name-brand computer sales in decline, anime shops have arisen in their place, selling to the otaku crowd. * '''[[August 25]], [[2005]]''': [[Tsukuba Express]], Tokyo's fastest private railway, opens in Akihabara. * '''Since 2005''', major redevelopment and modernization of the station and surrounding area. * '''[[June 8]], [[2008]]''': The [[Akihabara massacre]] took place on the Sunday-[[Car-free zone|pedestrian-zoned]] Chūōdōri street. A man killed seven in an attack on a crowd using a truck and a [[dagger]].<ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/06/08/japan.stabbing.spree/index.html At least 6 dead in Tokyo stabbing spree] Retrieved [[June 8]], [[2008]]</ref><ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUST27752620080608 Man stabs shoppers in Tokyo street] Retrieved [[June 8]], [[2008]]</ref><ref>[http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/t10015111331000.html NHKニュース 秋葉原通り魔事件 死者6人に] "NHK News Akihabara Passerby Incident Death Toll to Six" Retrieved [[June 8]], [[2008]]</ref> ==Establishments around Akihabara== ===Manseibashi Police Station=== {{nihongo|Manseibashi Police Station|万世橋警察署|Manseibashi Keisatsusho}}<ref>http://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.jp/1/manseibashi/</ref> is a station of [[Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department]]. The station takes its name from the nearby bridge, [[Manseibashi]]. The area north of the bridge is Akihabara Electric Town". The station is located slightly east of the Mansei bridge ({{coord|35|41|50.2|N|139|46|18.5|E|region:JP_scale:2500}}), on the Akihabara side of the Kanda River.<ref name="manseibashipolicesummary">{{cite web|title=Summary of Manseibashi Police Station|url=http://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.jp/1/manseibashi/gaiyo/gaiyo.htm|publisher=[[Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department]]|language=Japanese|accessdate=2007-01-23}}</ref> In addition to the police station, the building houses other government offices. The station began as a substation of Kanda Police Station in April 1905. It was disbanded a year later, but re-established in various forms until June 1927, when it was established as the Kanda Manseibashi Police Station. It moved back in with the Kanda station after the station was destroyed in the [[Bombing of Tokyo in World War II|WWII fire-bombing of Tokyo]]. In November 1948 the station was re-established under its present name, Manseibashi Police Station. New station buildings were completed in 1969 and again in 2000.<ref name="manseibashipolicesummary" /> ==See also== *[[Nipponbashi]], in Osaka ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== {{commonscat|Akihabara}} *{{coord|35.69844|N|139.77222|E|region:JP_type:city|display=title,inline}}{{geofacti}} Geo Links for Akihabara * [http://www.akiba.or.jp/ Akihabara Official website] {{ja icon}} * [http://www.akiba.or.jp/english/ Akihabara Official website] {{en icon}} ;Articles: * {{Wikitravelpar|Tokyo/Akihabara}} * [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/06/AR2005060601767.html In Tokyo, a Ghetto of Geeks] from Washington Post * [http://picturetokyo.com/en/city/akihabara.html Akihabara Guide @ Picturetokyo.com]Akihabara Information & Gallery * [http://sightseeing.in-japan.jp/2007/06/akihabara_toyko.html Akihabara - Tokyo] ;Media: * [http://www.thehiddentokyo.com/akihabara-00.html Photos of Tokyo and Akihabara] * Map of Akihabara's anime and manga related stores: (North is to the right) :[http://www.animeprime.com/misc/japan/akihabaramap1.jpg Akiba Walker] <small>SOUTH</small> {{ja icon}} :[http://www.animeprime.com/misc/japan/akihabaramap2.jpg Akiba Walker] <small>NORTH</small> {{ja icon}} * Printable Akihabara shopping map (word doc) :[http://www.akiba-ch.com/?p=416 Akihabara shopping map by ZiM] <small>Map in English</small> {{Neighborhoods of Tokyo}} [[Category:Neighborhoods of Tokyo]] [[Category:Visitor attractions in Tokyo]] [[Category:Shopping districts and streets]] [[Category:Otaku]] [[ar:اكيهابارا]] [[ca:Akihabara]] [[de:Akihabara]] [[es:Akihabara]] [[eo:Akihabara]] [[fr:Akihabara]] [[zh-classical:秋葉原]] [[ko:아키하바라]] [[id:Akihabara]] [[it:Akihabara]] [[nl:Akihabara]] [[ja:秋葉原]] [[pt:Akihabara]] [[ru:Акихабара]] [[fi:Akihabara]] [[sv:Akihabara]] [[wuu:秋叶原]] [[zh:秋葉原]]