Tokyo’s increasingly prevalent touchscreen vending machines are inventions to marvel at. Or at least they usually are. But next to the old man, the sheer size and expenditure of this one seems almost malevolent.

The demise of Betamax is well documented, but with vinyl enjoying a genuine revival, and some people even going back to cassettes, this man may well feel that after years of ridicule, his day has finally come.

Tokyo’s Akihabara district has certainly been given a facelift over recent years, allowing it to further cement its reputation as an otaku mecca of sorts. A shift that, along with fancy new buildings, has also resulted in arguably more maid cafes than regular, run-of-the-mill ones.

But, at its heart, the area is still all about gadgets and their assorted paraphernalia, and as such, the moniker ‘Electric Town’ still holds true. A feature that continues to attract large numbers of tourists and Tokyoites alike.

However, like many parts of the capital, below the surface it’s not as high-tech, or indeed wholesome, as it may first appear.