Over the last few years, Akihabara has been gentrified enormously, with fancy stores and modern spaces replacing a good deal of its previously rag-tag appearance. But pockets of the past do still exist, with tiny shops selling a veritable confusion of electrical components and connectors.
Bits and bobs that are understandably very fiddly to fit, although the less dexterous need not be too deterred, as help is also on hand.
In a drunken stupor, I would have screamed the house down seeing that sight of a dismembered hand minding the shop…
Perhaps even more so if it had waved at you!
Is it wrong that I find those to be my favorite shops?
Not at all. In new, shiny Akihabra, these old shops and alleyways are by far the most interesting. I just wish I knew what on earth it is they sell…
either take me with you next time, or take a few close ups, I can probably ID most the parts
Ok, you are on. They only thing I could ID was the arm!
I was shocked when first glance on the picture!
Interesting and cool picture!
Akihabara has many interesting stuffs to see, from animate stuffs.. to components… computer parts etc
One of my favourite place in Tokyo.
Thanks! Yes, it’s never a dull place to visit. Preferred it before the maids and themed cafes moved in though.
I loved it back in ’89 when I first went there. A complete geek heaven. Good to see that remnants of those days still exist. Long live the geeks!
It has changed enormously in the time I’ve been here, so I can only imagine what it was like back then. One thing hasn’t changed though: it’s still a geek heaven!
So that is the arm of a salesman (or lady?) rather than the sale of small arms in yellow boxes (with a free watch)?
A moment later and they might have had a head on display too!
Thankfully, yes, and definitely no heads on display!
Nice Halloween shot or an “Adams Family” out take. Or maybe just a lost Charles Addam’s cartoon?
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/cartoonists/2010/01/charles-addams.html
Ah, I’d totally forgot about the Adams Family. Long time since I’ve seen that.
Man, why are there never any disembodied arms and hands around when I visit Akihabara?!? Some people have all the luck!
The trick is to get there early, they are snapped up in no time.
Interesting thing about Akibara; while son & I were in Japan last summer, he wanted to scope it out as he had the idea he could buy the parts necessary to assemble his own PC cheaper there than here. The reality was he looked and couldn’t believe how high the prices were, even for stuff he can get in the U.S.
Yeah, I don’t think it has ever been cheap. It certainly wasn’t when I first came here. Plus now it has been spruced up, and become an attraction of sorts, it’s presumably even pricier.