Know of any good guidebooks? Not the usual hotels & restaurants, but a "guide for geeks" sort of thing. later jb

Enjoy. It's great fun. You pretty much can't miss by just walking the streets and allies. There are formal shops that sell fancy packaged products and then a host of small shops and vendors that specialize in every subcomponent for virtually any gadget you can think of.

My favorite spot in Tokyo? I found a neighborhood of shops that sell the plastic display sushi found in Japanese restaurants world-wide. There were many different grades of plastic sushi, from poorly colored artificial in appearance, to nearly indistinguishable from the real thing. At one of the shops specialing in the very best plastic sushi, my traveling partner purchased a frosty cold mug of Asahi, with beads of moisture on the outside of the glass, a few droplets of trickling down the side, with a perfect just-poured head as well, all in plastic.

I love Japan. Prepare to be amazed.

Thanks Coop! :) I've been meaning to make the pilgrimage to "geek mecca" for years, to walk the streets, but this year my mother bought me a guide book for Christmas, so... The only problem I think I'm going to encounter is excess baggage on the way home :) later jb

The core part of Akihabara isn't all that large, so it's easy enough to walk around. My favorite part was the rows and rows of small booths that go all the way through one building. There must be a hundred or more "mini-shops", sort of like an indoor flea market. It feels sort of like a couple of tunnels (or maybe that was just because I'm 6'3", which is pretty big over there)

I haven't been there since '77. At that time, it was the place you went to get your electronic gear at discount prices (legally). I'd love to go back.

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