Okay, look. Akihabara has become a major tourist destination. Why? The electronics, the people in costumes and other funky clothes, the maid cafés, etc. Akiba weekends are bustling, pedestrian-friendly madhouses of geeky goodness.

But now, in response to the recent stabbings, Akiba has reportedly suspended their practice of closing certain roads to cars on Sundays, making the area more accessible and safe for those who want to roam about on foot. The suspension will continue until at least the end of July.

I’ve been hearing a lot of talk in which people whine that Akihabara is going to crack down on otaku, “cleanse” the city, that this is the end of Akiba, etc. But how stupid would they have to be to shut down the very thing that makes Akiba a hot spot to hit? I just have trouble believing that Akiba has been lying in wait trying to find a way to destroy the source of some serious tourist income. What do you think?

Posted by gia in Gossip, JP News, News, Otaku • Comments (9)

Well, some of you, anyway. Or rather, one of you. Yes, one lucky permiere ticket holder at Anime Expo’s Jyukai concert will receive a most-expenses-paid trip from Intermixi, which is also where the winner will be announced.

The winner gets to choose one of three tours offered by Intermixi: the “Kame Hame Kansai” Kyoto/Osaka/Tokyo tour (which includes something called the “Samurai Sword Fighting Experience,” which worries me), the “Neo Tokyo” tour (which also includes the sword-fighting, but stays in Tokyo), and the “Tokyo Game Show” tour, which hits up the Tokyo Game Fair, among other destinations.

Which would you pick? I think I’d go for the Game Fair, personally.

Posted by gia in Cons, Misc, News, Otaku, Western News • Comments (1)

Just a quickie– Japan Probe has some more background on Tomohiro Kato, the man who killed 7 and injured more in Akihabara yesterday. Apparently he was a bit of an otaku himself; his own sketch from the game Tales of Destiny from a yearbook was unearthed (above) and he had apparently been to Akiba many times.

Japan Today has even more, specifically word of Internet postings possibly written by Kato and posted via mobile phone immediately prior to his stabbing spree.

Posted by gia in Gossip, JP News, Misc, News, Otaku • Comments (7)

Japan loves Colonel Sanders more than I think America ever has, really, but this takes the french-frilled cake: alafista reports on a Kentucky Fried Chicken in Akihabara that has dressed up its Colonel Sanders mascot in a frilly maid dress, vaguely a la Emma in style. Colonel Sanders is too classy for those short-skirt-and-petticoat getups!

I suddenly have this mental image of maids serving giant greasy buckets of KFC chicken, how about you?

Posted by gia in Misc, On the Fridge • Comments (3)

According to AkibaBlog, one of the two Kyonko– aka The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya gender-bending –doujinshi I mentioned a while back has hit the #1 spot at Melon Books’ Akihabara location.

Eeeexcellent. My evil plan to take over the world via gender-bending doujinshi is working!

Posted by gia in Anime, Gossip, JP News, Misc, News • Comments (3)

Apparently Japan’s cops are extremely devoted to keeping the country’s residents safe from evil, naughty Akiba singers who flash their asses at the crowd. And apparently Kotaku is extremely devoted to ass puns. In any case, it seems that cops have been stationed in Akihabara to ensure that no slavishly devoted fanboys get a look at a real human girl’s 3D bum. Is it any wonder these people don’t have any kids?