Akihabara Electric Town at Night, Tokyo

Akihabara, in Tokyo's Chiyoda ward, grew out of a post-war black market for radio parts into the city's best-known electronics and otaku-culture district. The neighborhood takes its nickname, "Electric Town," from the cluster of appliance and component shops that opened along Chuo-dori and the surrounding side streets starting in the 1950s. GiGO, the arcade brand seen on storefronts here, was rebranded from Sega's own arcade chain after Sega sold its amusement-center business in 2022, though Sega retains a minority stake. Duty-free electronics retailers, discount DVD and used-goods shops, and multi-story game centers now share the same blocks, drawing both tourists and collectors to a district still built around vertical signage stacked several stories high.

Photo taken in March 2023.