From cool to kawaii and everything else in between, Yodobashi Camera in Akihabara has shelves upon shelves of unique and novelty computer and mobile accessories. There are 20 other branchers of this store all around Japan, but the one located just outside Akihabara Station is especially poignant as the district is known for its selection of electronics, video games and anime.
If you are on a tight holiday schedule and want to pick up a uniquely Japanese computer or mobile accessory, Yodobashi Camera is a good choice. Akihabara has many multi-levelled shops selling a variety of gadgets, anime merchandise and toys, but they cannot match the selection offered in Yodobashi Camera’s massive store.
The company started off as Fujisawa Shashin Shokai in 1960 and changed to its current name in 1974. The Akihabara store was opened in 2005. You can find usb drives, mobile phone covers, portable batteries and other accessories made for fans of Disney, Sanrio, various animes as well as food. There is a staggering variety spread across six floors. What is available keeps changing according to what is popular at the moment, so there is always something new on offer.The complex has a total of nine floors, but there are a few floors consisting of mainly restaurants, a driving range, a batting centre and home appliances. You will spend a long time browsing and deciding what to buy, and just getting distracted by the sheer amount of interesting things on offer.
A bonus is that they are well-prepared for tourists. They have announcements and signs in different languages, such as English and Chinese. You will also never be far away from a staff member who speaks good English.
While you are there, you can also head up to the toys section where they have video games that you can play, and rows of Gachapon that include ones not easily available elsewhere.
The next time you are in Akihabara, make sure you give an hour in Yodobashi Camera. It is an interesting place to just browse, play some games, get a bite to eat and check out the latest gadgets.
