The new bilingual otaku (geek) culture media site Akibanana was launched by G.I. Jane Inc. in February, and has thus-far provided extremely good content about the ever-changing Akihabara scene.
In addition to having lots of great information about the Akihabara area (detailed shop maps, guides, etc) and its main highlights (anime, manga, games, gadgets, and more), Akibanana is also writing features about events and important happenings, and putting a focus on educating the world about the real Akihabara that exists in the alleys and nondescript shops. The Hibaritei cross-dressing maid cafe event is a unique example in itself.
In our experience, most first-time foreign visitors to Akihabara are a bit disappointed because it can’t possibly live up to the hype it receives in the media. When they don’t see robot maids, moving sidewalks, and people flying around on jetpacks they wonder what the big deal is (They also think the point of Akihabara is just to get cheap electronics). The real Akihabara, like the rest of Tokyo, is behind the facades and hidden away.
Michael is CEO and Co-Founder of the 
