Christmas Shopping in Akihabara

by Noriko Takezaki

For shopping in tokyo, one area with an almost mystical attraction has long been Akihabara. Originally a black market area for radio parts after World War II, Akihabara has developed into perhaps the biggest and best known electrical goods shopping area in the world.

If you've ever visited Akihabara (And who in Tokyo hasn't?), you've probably noticed that the district is generally not a friendly place for foreigners to do their computer shopping. This is not the fault of the Akihabara stores so much as it is due to the poor availability of English-version computer hardware and software in Japan. The computers and hardware available in Akihabara stores are generally domestic models, with no English manuals. And the software selection, though abundant, is primarily Japanese-language programs that will run only on a Japanese operating system.

Also, since follow-up service from product manufacturers in English for individual users is rare, many Akihabara shops are reluctant to deal with foreigners. Only in the bigger shops, like Laox, The Computer Kan, or T-Zone Minami -- or in the duty-free shops -- can you expect to find English-language versions of hardware and software, or even store clerks who can speak more than a smattering of English.

However, Akihabara is still worth visiting to find gifts for the computer users on your Christmas list (or for yourself). If you shop around, you'll find stores that stock English-language versions of computer hardware and software, often at very reasonable prices. (The models or versions may be a bit old, however.) Even in the stores that do not sell the English-version products, you can still slaver over Japan's hot products, and enjoy trying to negotiate a price discount with the salespeople.

Although you cannot expect fluent English from the typical Akihabara salesperson, most can understand common English computer terms if you speak slowly and clearly (and, if possible, with Japanese accent: e.g., say "inkujetto purint:" rather than "inkjet printer"). To make sure you get exactly what you want, it is advisable to have specific technical information of the product, and an illustration if possible.

To help with your Christmas shopping, this article offers information about the three major computer store chains in Akihabara. And, since computer hardware can be difficult to carry home on the train, if you're too eager to test your new toy (I mean "tool") to wait for delivery, we offer a map of convenient parking lots (courtesy of the Akihabara Electrical Town Organization).

T-Zone

The T-Zone stores that will be of interest to foreign shoppers are the T-Zone Main Shop (4-4-1 Soto-kanda, Chiyoda-ku; phone 03-3257-2685), which deals in IBM Aptiva, FM Village, DOS/V software, and older models of computers, and T-Zone Minami (4-3-3 Soto-kanda, Chiyoda-ku; phone 03-3257-2770), which has a wide range of (DOS/V and NEC 9800) Windows and Apple Macintosh hardware and software.

T-Zone carries the largest stock of English-version computers and peripherals in Akihabara, as well as a large selection of English-language software, books, and magazines. T-Zone's strength comes from its dynamic business activities overseas, including in the US and Taiwan.

T-Zone has an exceptionally large stock of Toshiba notebook and subnotebook computers, but also does good business in such brands as Compaq, IBM, and Micron. The 7th floor of T-Zone Minami holds an Internet Café (with Internet use priced at JPY500 for 30 minutes, and coffee or tea at JPY250).

We asked T-Zone for some Christmas-gift suggestions for foreign residents in Japan. The T-Zone spokesman recommended a Pentium-based notebook or subnotebook computer. In notebook models, T-Zone's recommendations are the Toshiba T-500CDT (120 MHz, 16MB RAM), Tecra 730CDT (150 MHz, 16MB RAM), or T-110CS, T-110CT, or T-420CDT (100 MHz, 8MB RAM). Their recommended subnotebook models are the Portege 650CT (133 MHz, 16MB RAM), Portege 620CT (100 MHz, 8MB RAM), or 610CT (90 MHz, 8MB RAM).

Laox

Laox has numerous Akihabara locations that will be of interest to foreign shoppers. These include:

Laox Hon Kan (Main Store): 1-2-9 Soto-kanda, Chiyoda-ku; phone 03-3253-7111; duty-free products, phones, and audiovisual equipment Laox, The Computer Kan: 1-7-6 Soto-kanda, Chiyoda-ku; phone 03-5256-3111; PCs, software, peripherals, and books

Laox Computer Outlet: 3-1-14 Soto-kanda, Chiyoda-ku; phone 03-3255-4004; PCs, peripherals, and CD-ROM software

Laox, The Computer MAC Kan: 1-8-8, Soto-kanda, Chiyoda-ku; phone 03-3251-4811; Macintosh hardware and software and related products

Laox, The Computer Network Kan: 3-1-15 Soto-kanda, Chiyoda-ku; phone 03-3251-6241; networking products

Laox, The Computer Game Kan: 1-13-3 Soto-kanda, Chiyoda-ku; phone 03-3251-3100; computer games

Laox, The Electronic Stationary Kan: 1-7-5 Soto-kanda, Chiyoda-ku; phone 03-5256-5751; PDAs and electronic books

Laox, Kanda Musen: 1-24 Kanda Sakuma-cho, Chiyoda-ku; phone 03-3253-5371; duty-free products and home appliances

Laox, particularly in The Computer Kan, carries a wide variety of computer products. Although most of the Laox stores sell only domestic models with no English manuals, the Laox Computer Outlet carries Compaqs with English manuals, keyboard, and operating system. (These are not the newest models, however. The Compaq English-version computers currently being sold in the Computer Outlet are the Deskpro XE466, Prolinea 575/4, Prolinea 590/4, and Presario 9650 desktops, and the LTE Elite notebook.) The Laox Hon Kan (Main Store) offers duty-free products, such as Casio's SFM10 electronic notebooks and Canon's IDX9500 Wordtank translators, with English manuals.

When we asked Laox to recommend good products for Christmas purchases, a spokesman for Laox, The Computer Kan, suggested the following (all domestic models with no English manuals):

• Compaq's Presario 7660 desktop or Armada 4130T notebook
• Casio's QV-100 digital camera
• Canon's BJC420J bubblejet printer, or Hewlett Packard's Deskjet 850C inkjet printer (with optional English driver)
• Microcom's DeskPort-E336W modem, or TDK's DF3314EX PC card modem

Sofmap

Like Laox, Sofmap has a multitude of shops scattered around Akihabara. Depending on what particular computer product you're searching for, check out:

Sofmap Hon Ten (Main Store): 3-14-10 Soto-kanda, Chiyoda-ku; phone 03-3253-3030; used PCs and software

Sofmap Ichi-goh Ten (No. 1 Store): 1-10-8 Soto-kanda, Chiyoda-ku; phone 03-3253-9190; Windows hardware and software

Sofmap Ni-goh Ten (No. 2 Store): 1-15-2 Soto-kanda, Chiyoda-ku; phone 03-5256-2927; Mac hardware and software and MIDI equipment

Sofmap San-goh Ten (No. 3 Store): 1-10-2 Soto-kanda, Chiyoda-ku; phone 03-3253-4231; used Macs

Sofmap Yon-goh Ten (No. 4 Store): 4-4-2 Soto-kanda, Chiyoda-ku; phone 03-3253-3155; Mac hardware and software

Sofmap Go-goh Ten (No. 5 Store): 1-7-12 Soto-kanda, Chiyoda-ku; phone 03-3253-0014; used office automation equipment

Sofmap Roku-goh Ten (No. 6 Store): 1-8-11 Soto-kanda, Chiyoda-ku; phone 03-3253-0351; DOS/V-based products

Sofmap Kyu-goh Ten (No. 9 Store): 3-14-5 Soto-kanda, Chiyoda-ku; phone 03-5294-2290; games

Sofmap Juni-goh Ten (No. 12 Store): 4-5-8 Soto-kanda, Chiyoda-ku; phone 03-3253-4664; used hardware

Sofmap Jusan-goh Ten (No. 13 Store): 1-11-9 Soto-kanda, Chiyoda-ku; phone 03-3253-9590; new and used games

Sofmap Juyon-goh Ten (No. 14 Store): 3-15-6 Soto-kanda, Chiyoda-ku; phone 03-3258-3155; new games

Sofmap Software Buy-up Center 2: 1-8-4 Soto-kanda, Chiyoda-ku; phone 03-3253-4664

Sofmap Computer Clinic: 3-11-6 Soto-kanda, Chiyoda-ku; phone 03-5256-6841

Sofmap carries a rich variety of products, though mainly domestic models. If you become a Sofmap card member, you can purchase a low-cost extended 5-year warranty on the purchase of all new products and get a 1-year warranty on the purchase of a used PC and 3-month free replacement of defective products.

Before you make the trek to Akihabara, though, visit the Sofmap Virtual Store on the Internet (http://www.cyber.co.or.jp/index.html). This is Japan's first and largest online store for computer product information (in Japanese only). Available from Sofmap through the Internet are PCs, software, peripherals, and even computer furniture.

Asked for Christmas-purchase recommendations, a Sofmap spokesman suggested the Compaq Armada notebook series, IBM ThinkPad notebook series, Apple Performa 6260, Claris FileMaker Pro, and Claris Works.

Before you go

Wandering around Akihabara can be a daunting task, so prepare yourself before you go. As with so many other things these days, the Internet is a good resource.

You'll definitely want to visit the website maintained by the Akihabara Electrical Town Association. You'll find the Akihabara Access Guide homepage at http://www.akiba.or.jp (Japanese) or http://www.akiba.or.jp/index_e.html (English). The site's clickable Akihabara Town Guide map (http://www.akiba.or.jp/map/index.html) is particularly useful for finding individual stores.

At the Impress website, you find the Akihabara Map homepage (http://www.impress.co.jp/akibamap/index.html). This Japanese-language-only site also contains a clickable map of Akihabara, as well as a clickable listing of dozens of Akihabara stores, many of which have links to the store's own homepage.

A brief history of Akihabara

The Akihabara district traces its name to Akiba-dai-gongen, a shrine to the "god of fire protection" built for victims of a devastating fire in Shizuoka prefecture in 1869. People soon began calling the area around the shrine Akiba-hara (the Akiba plain). In 1890, a train station was opened in the area and named Akihabara (which is an alternate reading of the same three kanji ); this latter pronunciation soon caught on for the area.

In the late 1940s, with much of Tokyo still in postwar ruins, numerous entrepreneurial vendors began to set up street stalls in Akihabara to sell black market radio parts and electrical components. (There was some logic to the choice of area, since an electrical engineering college was located nearby.) When US Occupation forces eventually shut down the street stalls, the vendors relocated to the maze of passageways under the rebuilt elevated train tracks.

The specialized minishops are still there -- and, except for the merchandise, some look as though have changed little since the early '50s. These are patronized by hobbyists and those with specific needs. The Akihabara pictured in guide books and familiar to most shoppers, though, is dominated by modern, multistory discount stores. Many of the big stores are along Chuo-dori, the central street that divides the district, but according to the Akihabara Electrical Shops Association, there are over 500 discount stores in and around Akihabara station. Big-name chains, like Laox or Hirose Musen, are likely to have numerous stores scattered throughout Akihabara Electric Town (the district's "official" designation).

Until the early 1990s, Akihabara was known primarily for its low-cost consumer electronics goods and household appliances. It was a popular shopping destination not only because of the variety of products, but because -- unlike typical Japanese neighborhood and department stores -- haggling over price with an Akihabara store clerk was traditional. Discounts of 30% or more off the posted price were possible if you knew how to bargain.

Times have changed, though. Posted prices in Akihabara stores are now much closer to actual street prices, and while haggling is still possible, it is not done with the same enthusiasm it once was. Additional discounts of more than a few percent off the posted discount are hard to come by. The range of products has changed as well.

In the early 1990s, due to lower "post-bubble" consumer spending and stiff competition from discount stores in local neighborhoods, and near-saturation of Japan's consumer electronics market, Akihabara stores shifted their inventory to emphasize computer products. It is estimated that sales of PCs and related goods reached approximately 50% of the district's JPY395 billion sales in 1993, and that percentage has continued to grow ever since.--WA

Duty-free shops in Akihabara

If you're visiting Tokyo as a tourist, or if you're a resident but want the export version of a particular product as a gift for the folks back home, you'll want to visit one of Akihabara's duty-free stores.