Get in character – in Akiba
Character goods – along with gaming – form much of the backbone of what makes Akihabara Akihabara.
Be you into Japanese characters such as Pokemon, Ampanman or Black Jack (and there are a million others – those are
just a few examples) or anime figures known and loved just as much overseas as they are in Akiba, a trip to this haven of the geek, this paradise for peddlers of all things anime wil never fail to satisfy as long as you know where to look for what you want, what you need, and in some extreme cases, what folk crave.
As most know, large stores are to be found all over Akihabara but these trade primarily into household electonic
items. Character goods are in evidence to some degree, especially on the upper Duty Free floors where many non-Japanese are coaxed into making purchases they might actually be able to make in smaller stores for less money anyway – regardless of the DF price tag offering a reduction of around 10 percent or so.
So, it is to the smaller outlets the true character fan will head; those seen in the streets running parallel to the
main strip, behind the big names of LAOX etc.
There are literally hundreds and hundreds of stores here. Many sell cheaper versions of the big store items, but
increasing numbers are dedicating themselves to any and all things character related – from phone straps to comic books, figures to place on the shelf back home to full size character outfits to help you re-enact your favorite scenes from a given TV show or movie.
Prices vary with much available at very reasonable cost when compared to online sales options and the larger stores, and bargaining IS a possibility – forget what you read in the guide books – this is Akiba where anything goes. There are of course also some joint specialising in the rare and hard to find though – and in these places look but be careful about touching unless you have direct access to a bank vault for it in these places you will see the real big
spenders; those unafraid of dropping several hundred dollars on a single magazine.
As with so much else though – character shopping in Akiba is what you make it. It can break the bank or bring back
memories of childhood – your call.
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