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Nov 06 2012 18 Comments

Even arms can be bought in Akihabara?

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.

Akihabara shop

Categorized: Photography

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Stephanie says

    11/6/2012 at 1:35 pm

    In a drunken stupor, I would have screamed the house down seeing that sight of a dismembered hand minding the shop…

    Reply
    • Lee says

      11/6/2012 at 4:34 pm

      Perhaps even more so if it had waved at you!

      Reply
  2. Magnus369 says

    11/6/2012 at 2:52 pm

    Is it wrong that I find those to be my favorite shops?

    Reply
    • Lee says

      11/6/2012 at 4:37 pm

      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…

      Reply
      • Magnus369 says

        11/7/2012 at 5:28 pm

        either take me with you next time, or take a few close ups, I can probably ID most the parts 😛

        Reply
        • Lee says

          11/7/2012 at 5:56 pm

          Ok, you are on. They only thing I could ID was the arm!

          Reply
  3. winnie says

    11/6/2012 at 6:19 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      11/6/2012 at 10:12 pm

      Thanks! Yes, it’s never a dull place to visit. Preferred it before the maids and themed cafes moved in though.

      Reply
  4. Willy says

    11/6/2012 at 9:13 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      11/6/2012 at 10:17 pm

      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!

      Reply
  5. john says

    11/6/2012 at 11:18 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      11/7/2012 at 8:45 am

      Thankfully, yes, and definitely no heads on display!

      Reply
  6. Jeffrey says

    11/7/2012 at 4:29 am

    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

    Reply
    • Lee says

      11/7/2012 at 8:47 am

      Ah, I’d totally forgot about the Adams Family. Long time since I’ve seen that.

      Reply
  7. MrSatyre says

    11/7/2012 at 4:51 am

    Man, why are there never any disembodied arms and hands around when I visit Akihabara?!? Some people have all the luck!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      11/7/2012 at 8:48 am

      The trick is to get there early, they are snapped up in no time.

      Reply
  8. A Former Expat says

    11/7/2012 at 8:31 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      11/7/2012 at 8:50 am

      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.

      Reply

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