The last time I was in Japan, I was amazed by the number of unique electronics available, usually far superior to anything we could find on this side of the pond. It was 2000, when minidiscs (yes, minidiscs) enjoyed a superiority over MP3 players and for the most part, lightweight laptops were defined as less than six pounds. Of course, Japan had the ultra-thin Sharp Mebius line which, at well under an inch thick, still holds up near the thinnest in the world. The Japanese also had a wide selection of Sony, Panasonic, and various other brands of minidisc players, which were torturous to import to North America.
These are simply two examples in technology that were near exclusive to Japan eight years ago. However, the world has become far smaller and today, there are far fewer items unique to the “Land of the Rising Sun”. In terms of portable music and ultraportable laptops, even Apple alone has usurped the market for the need of stylish and tiny devices. Today there are probably more iPods than people on the streets of Tokyo. Gadgets that are only available in Japan these days are few and far between and even those are easily imported via sites such as Dynamism. To put it simply, the rest of the world has caught up and while Japan is still on the cutting edge of technology, that margin has worn thin.
However, this isn’t to say that gearheads and technophiles can’t find things to enjoy and purchase in the country many consider to be Geek Mecca. Let’s run down more interesting geek attractions you might find (or should go looking for) on your trip to Japan.
Keitai’s (Mobile Phones)
One area where the Japanese still have the rest of the world (well, perhaps except Korea) beat is mobile phones. Think the iPhone is awesome? Most of those functions available on the iPhone have been available for years on even the most common keitais in Japan. In addition to GPS, MP3 and video capability, and 5MP cameras, most Japanese phones have full, live television capabilities. No, not the watered down, low quality short clips of TV shows you can watch here…but actual live television. In fact, when I went to a sumo tournament in Nagoya, several fans had their phones out to watch the instant replays of the live broadcast between matches.
E-mail has only been readily available for a short period of time here but mobile phone e-mail is a way of life in Japan. Push e-mail (with separate accounts for the phones themselves) are available even on pre-paid phones. For a country where it is rude to talk on your phone nearly everywhere in public (most notably in trains where most folks in metropolitan areas spend most of their time), many people forego their talk time minutes altogether in favor of unlimited e-mails. This is in stark contrast to the North American Cell Phone Culture where minutes are king and data features are options, and expensive ones to boot.
I know what you’re thinking, but forget about it. Unlocking Japanese phones for use here in North America, though possible, is troublesome and costly at best. Not to mention some of the coolest Japanese phone functions may not be fully usable once the phone is unlocked. Sure, you’ll have a very unique handheld, but it will be severely crippled making it just another phone. You’ll also have a real tough time trying to purchase one in Japan without a long-term contract with heavy cancellation penalties. Some mobile companies don’t even allow purchase and contract sign-ups without Japanese identification.
Arcades
Remember arcades? You know, those places where you plunk your quarter into that coin slot and press a big red button before you beat the bejeezus out of your friend’s tiny character sprite? Well, those are all but dead in the States today as playing with your buddies is easier and probably cheaper using any of Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo’s home console systems.
While the same is true in Japan, for some reason they still choose to fill up the country’s countless arcades. However, fair warning to the non-smokers or health nuts amongst you as every single arcade is filled with the stench of cigarettes. About 40% of the country puffs on cancer sticks. If you do decide to brave the dark clouds, you’ll find that these arcades in Asia will be your first opportunity to play some of the latest games before they hit the North American market via consoles. A few weeks ago, I got to test drive the new Street Fighter game, months before it will reach the PS3. Much yelling and profanity ensued from fellow Futurelooks writer and fighting game enthusiast Michael Kwan.
If that isn’t your bag, you could also get your ass kicked in Guitar Freaks 5 which, despite only having three buttons compared to the five of Guitar Hero and Rock Band, is strangely more difficult than its American counter-parts. Of course, it isn’t simply the games that make arcades a draw. It’s fun to just be there and playing with friends or strangers. It really is too bad that games are no longer just a quarter…since a buck or two per play racks up quite fast these days.
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Convenience
In terms of convenience, Japan is mind-boggling. It’s not possible to go ten feet in any direction without stumbling into a vending machine, a convenience store, or a convenience store full of vending machines. They are always nearly spotless and clean and they never break down. If they do happen to be out of something that you want, if you come back in an hour, someone will have probably restocked it by then. At some restaurants, you order your food this way. A vending machine gives you tickets to bring to your table, which the staff pick up and then bring you the corresponding dish. This means you can leave right away without having to ask for the bill, which is a fantastic and quick way of doing things. This also means that you don’t have to tip.
The country is somewhat counter-intuitive in this way. You can find food and drinks in vending machines nearly everywhere on the street, making it incredibly easy and quick to grab a snack on the go. That is, it would be if it weren’t rude to eat while walking down the street or in a train station or a train car. The same is true of the Japanese train/subway system itself. It is nearly never late and although the cars are usually filled, you get where you’re going quite quickly unless you are out past midnight. All the trains shut down until around 5am. I’m not sure about you but that seems almost like punishment for having fun. Believe me when I say Japan has some fantastic nightlife.
If you are indeed looking for the mythical Japanese vending machines that sell used undergarments, let me save you some time: They do not exist1 At least they don’t anymore. Apparently there were some of these around but a government crackdown led to their removal years ago, depriving tourists of a rather interesting picture and perverts of easy access to…well, used underwear.
Akihabara
The evolution of the global technological village means that the bright lights of Akihabara are slightly dimmer than what they used to be. In fact, I found that the best prices in Tokyo aren’t in the “Electric City”.
There’s still much to see in the center of otaku (def: guys that spend all their money on comic books and video games rather than…everything else) culture. While you’re not going to save much on new equipment, Akiba, as the locals call it, is the place to be to find used retro games and game systems. There are buildings with floors upon floors of old school Famicom or Sega Genesis and such.
The Otaku Underground
If you really want to experience Japan’s Otaku culture, you might want to check out a maid cafe, where local geeks go to enjoy a cup of coffee served to them by a cute girl in a maid outfit. Don’t worry, ladies, you aren’t forgotten in this department as there are butler cafes as well. The real appeal of a maid cafe, however, is that the maids speak to you in a very respectful manner, like you’re their master. This may be lost on those with little or no understanding of Japanese honorifics and some may not be very welcoming to foreigners but it is something uniquely Japanese…or perhaps just uniquely Akihabara.
Akihabara is also home to many, many DVD shops and bookstores but be warned; although the bottom floor is rather standard, things get freakier and freakier as you ascend the narrow staircases. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about by now. You may also find a variety of costumes inspired by Japanese comics and anime in varying sizes. I stumbled upon some suspiciously sized handmade Sailor Moon and other typically female outfits that perplexed me…until I found out they were made for men. Then I was just a bit scared.
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Madarake
Continuing with the comics and anime, the largest collection of both mainstream and rare classic comics and anime, as well as a selection of Western comics and movies, is located at six Madarake stores in Japan. The main location is in Nakano that is split into twelve outlets representing various aspects of otaku culture. The Shibuya location is also massive and a smaller store located in Ikebukuro specifically for the ladies (as Ikebukuro is the epicenter of girl geek-dom in Tokyo).
Mandarake has all sorts of interesting items including old school Transformers from the ’80s, scale models of Godzilla vs. Mothra and the fully articulated Ultraman. Probably the most interesting thing that someone would actually buy is original animation cells of popular anime, including several from Hayao Miyazaki films like Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away that retail for thousands.
Bic Camera/Yodabashi/Sakuraya
You’ll see these three stores everywhere in Tokyo. These chains basically dominate the market with their massive selection, nearly identical prices and nearly identical layouts. You’ll find nearly every brand of laptop, camera, DVD player, watches, audio equipment and everything else that needs to be plugged in. If you make a big purchase, be sure to bring your passport as foreigners usually qualify for duty-free shopping with purchases over 10,000Y ($100). Larger locations will have at least one or two staff members that speak English decently.
Kohjinsha SC3
There are a few gadgets available in Japan (and other parts of Asia) that are difficult to come by anywhere in North America. Kohjinsha’s tiny netbooks originally caught my eye when Futurelooks was in Taiwan for COMPUTEX but the latest release from this Singapore company is the most interesting. The SC3 is tiny with a 7-inch screen but packs features like GPS and a 1seg TV antenna and converts to a tablet-PC powered by an Intel Atom processor.
The only real problem is…there’s no way for anyone with human hands to type on this thing. The keyboard is beyond small and typing on it reminds me of that episode of The Office where Phyllis attempts to use a Blackberry. “How do you just press one button?”
Nissan GT-R
Sure, Nissan’s 480bhp beast will be arriving here in North America shortly, but Japan gets first shot at the homegrown supercar, which laps the Nurburgring in just under seven and a half minutes. It’s as fast as it is pretty and it’s even prettier in person. Make sure you hit the Nissan showroom when you’re there to marvel at its greatness.
Still Geek Mecca?
I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing that technology that was once found only in Japan is easily available for purchase on the Internet these days. On one hand, it sort of takes away a bit of the exclusivity and exotic appeal of the country. On the other hand, we get cool stuff easier. That isn’t to say that Japan is less fun than it used to be though as the last three months was absolutely awesome. In fact, it’s probably a better place for a vacation now than it was in years past, even though it might be tougher to find a unique gadget to wow you friends back home. Still, for sheer volume and concentration of technology, video games and general geekdom, it’s tough for any city to beat Tokyo.
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