Akihabara (Electronics and Gadgets)

Akihabara ( 秋葉原 ? ) is a district in the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo , Japan. The name Akihabara is a shortening of Akibagahara ( 秋葉が原 ? , "autumn leaf field"), which ultimately comes from Akiba ( 秋葉 ? ), named after a fire-controlling deity of a firefighting shrine built after the area was destroyed by a fire in 1869. [1] Akihabara gained the nickname Akihabara Electric Town ( 秋葉原電気街 Akihabara Denki Gai ? ) shortly after World War II for being a major shopping center for household electronic goods and the post-war black market. [2] [3] Nowadays, Akihabara is considered by many to be an otaku cultural center and a shopping district for video games, anime , manga , and computer goods. Icons from popular anime and manga are displayed prominently on the shops in the area, and numerous maid cafés are found throughout the district