T o get an idea of what Tokyo's Akihabara district is like, imagine a place that mixes the informal charm of a country craft fair with the neon glitz of the Las Vegas Strip. Akihabara is an entire commercial neighborhood devoted to the fruits of Japan's electronics and appliance industries. And everyone, it seems, gets a piece of the action. On the street, gadgets and gear are displayed like souvenirs on the streets of Gatlinburg. Stacks of CD players and VCRs compete for attention with displays of cellular phones and pocket organizers.
Hawkers hand out leaflets promoting the latest portable phone.
Arcade video games share sidewalk space with a complete Macintosh computer system, shrink-wrapped and ready to roll. Look up and you see giant neon signs blaring out such familiar names as Sony, Toshiba, Hitachi, Pioneer, Panasonic, Denon and Sharp. It's a riot of steel, glass and graphics. Each floor is devoted to a different product, from computers and software to laundry machines and rice cookers. Walk a few meters down the street, turn into the alley and you'd swear you were back in Louisville, strolling the aisles at a Fairgrounds flea market.