The Walk from Ueno to Akihabara

Yesterday we took the students to Akihabara, which might be summed up as the "nerd" district: stores selling high end gadgetry and electronics, giant six story manga and anime shops, and "maidol" cafes, where girls dressed in maid outfits make conversation with awkward nerds. But getting to Akihabara was part of the pleasure: we took the train to Ueno, one of the oldest Tokyo districts. We then walked along the tracks south to Akihabara (through the Okachimachi station zone, as well), a beautiful cityscape where old traintracks meet neon, where the latest digital devices are sold alongside fish. Here are some pictures from the daytime walk: I walked this Sunday night and it was stunningly beautiful in the dark with the different kinds of light.

BTW, Akihabara is where many of the "capsule hotels" are...the pods you can sleep in to save money on a room. I'm trying to decide if I should try one or not.


Eventually, the shops give way to mini-storage spaces as you head south.