Digital Rhapsody

One day in Japan I spent a few hours wandering around in Akihabara, which is kind of the electronics capital of Tokyo.



Akihabara is a collection of technology-related stores. The classic image is a large department store with 6-8 floors crammed full of various consumer electronics.



Akihabara used to be about my favorite place to wander around in Tokyo. The last couple of times I've been to Japan it hasn't seemed quite so fun, and this time was no exception. I finally figured out why. Three things -- convergence, consolidation, and dispersion.

Back in the day, the late '80s and early '90s was kind of the Golden Age of Consumer Electronics. With the rise of the Walkman, through the transition to CD and MiniDisc (which format didn't catch on in the US, but was hugely popular in Japan), every store was cramming with dazzling displays, racks filled with dozens of models of (e.g.) portable cassette players from a dozen or more manufacturers, each model coming in a dozen different colors. The market was tremendously competitive, and innovation was rampant. Each time I'd go to Akihabara there would be dozens and dozens of new models -- better, smaller, sleeker, with better features.

And there were all kinds of devices -- music devices, electronic dictionaries, portable word processors, etc.

The whole concept of convergence has helped kill that model. All the different devices that used to exist as standalone gadgets have pretty much been replaced by just three devices -- the personal computer, the mobile telephone, and the MP3 player. Those devices are amazing, and getting more so all the time (the average Japanese cell phone is now a replacement for a pager, a TV, a VCR, a word processor, an electronic dictionary, an e-mail system, an IRC chat system, a camera, a video camera, a GPS navigation system, a Web browser, a train pass, an electronic wallet, and, oh yeah, a phone). But it's a lot less interesting to look at a rack of cell phones (especially since I'm not going to buy a Japanese phone for use in the U.S. anyway) than it used to be to look at all the different kinds of devices.

The market has also consolidated drastically. It used to be that you could find cassette (or CD or MD) players from Toshiba, Aiwa, Sony, Kenwood, and many other companies. Now, there really are only two major MP3 player makers represented -- Apple and Sony. There are a few other minor players, but those are the only two that are very interesting -- and I already know all about the Apple models, so again there's not much new to look at. And with competition way down, the variety in models and colors is also down.

(Not that they've completely given that up -- here is a poster displaying the new Pentax single-lens reflex camera, which is available in 100!!! different colors.)



And with personal computers, it's all about the software, which is a lot less fun to look at in the store.

Finally, big electronic retailer chains like Yodobashi Camera have opened dozens of branches all over, so retailing is a lot more dispersed than it used to be. Many of the big stores that used to be in Akihabara are gone now, and a lot of the shopping is now done elsewhere.

So, Akihabara used to be all about all kinds of consumer electronics. Now it's pretty much all about PCs, software, and video games.



And more video games.



And more video games.



There are still specialty stores, particularly in other areas away from Akihabara, like this amazing guitar store in Jinbocho.



But they're not as common, or as cool, as they used to be.

The good news is, it doesn't seem to be nearly as crowded as it used to be, though there are still quite a few shoppers.



One other feature that, while it occurs all over Tokyo, has always been a major feature in Akihabara is people handing out literature. In the early days of computers it was people in cow costumes handing out Gateway PC literature, and there have been trends of anime costumes, etc. This year the big thing was girls in frilly "maid" outfits.



Or loli dresses.



Or even schoolgirl uniforms.



This one found somebody willing to take the literature and follow her to the store.



Some of the literature hander-outers were dressed more traditionally.



Or at least semi-traditionally.



One thing that hasn't changed is a catacomb-like area near the train station that's crammed with dozens of tiny little shops, often not much bigger than a closet, specializing in various components like bolts



or power connectors and circuit prototyping boards



or capacitors



or LEDs



or connectors.



If it's an electrical or electronic or related part, you can still find it here.