History

Akihabara has been the center for anything electronics in as early as the 1920’s, at the time when NHK’s radio broadcasts gave rise to the demands for locally assembled radios.

While World War II left no trace of the area, war survivors and street merchants selling radio parts, came back to rebuild Akihabara.

To survive the postwar era, the government saw an opportunity in the bustling town. In able to reach economic balance with that of the West, the government and manufacturers sought to develop the consumer electronics industry. They enticed consumers through a barrage of advertisements, aiming particularly at homemakers willing to spend money on appliances that would help lighten housework.

Decades later, manufacturers used the area as a testing ground for their products before introducing these to the world market. This was how Akihabara became the world famous “Electric Town”.

Today, Akihabara shifts from consumer home electronics to become an internet hub, famous the world over.