Hey Japanophiles! I'm heading off to the Land of the Rising Sun in a month and have been doing my fair share of research. I've found the cheapest way of getting to Akihabara, gotta love those maid cafes, from Narita airport. It's called the Wa-shoi! Bus and it's free, I kid you not!! My friend in Tokyo found out about it and let me know. Seems like you have to log onto http://wa-shoi/bus/, become a member, do general community site stuff, and they give you points which help you get a ride on the bus. This thing can save you about $25 one-way and that is a lot of ramen and mochi balls. I have my ride from Narita to the Maid Cafes all set!!

"Please, please, please can we go to the electronics district?" My husband begged. I had no idea what he wanted to purchase and bring home but I love exploring so we hopped on the Yamanote train and disembarked at Akihabara station.

As we exited the station, we randomly picked a direction and headed down the streets. I attempted to ask for directions but the first woman I saw, who sprayed perfume samples on passers-by, gave me a dirty look when I asked her in Japanese if she understood English. No worries, we plodded on.

As we rounded a corner, we stopped suddenly and gasped. Rows and rows of shops met our gaze as we took in the sight of cell phones as far as our eyes could see. To say that Tokyo is cell phone crazy would seriously undermine the great attraction the Japanese have to electronic gadgets. We found stores that sold cell phone antennae that lit up when receiving a call, cell phone trinkets which resembled small baubles or key chains, even tiny rain coats for cell phones to protect the gadgets when it rained. I could not decided if I felt delight or terror when I found a Winnie The Pooh outfit for a cell phone.

"Let’s browse camera equipment," my husband suggested. We walked into a store with an enclosed stairway that resembled a hamster Habitrail tunnel. Immediately, a salesperson, fluent in English, stopped to help us. Sadly, the prices in all of the stores we visited eclipsed the prices back at home. The technology surpassed some of the gadgets back in the States, such as the latest televisions. However, sending a flat panel TV back home was impractical, at best. Camera equipment did not differ much from what we had. Other gadgets did not match in compatibility with our voltage, our DVD systems, and other restrictions. Overall, our trip to Akihabara served as a learning experience rather than a treasure hunt. Unless you have a specific item to purchase, and are looking for technology unavailable in your area, be prepared to not spend and window shop.

Disappointed, my husband suggested that we get back on the train and explore a different area of Tokyo. But as we strolled through the train station, I spotted something that would cheer us up. Ice cream! We capped off our unproductive visit with a tasty ice cream cone, which prepared us for more adventures to come.

Akihabara is known for its massive amount of electronics for sale. One can find just about anything, ranging from expensive cameras, to electrical components such as resistors and capacitors. Although one can shop in Akihabara during the daytime, it is more exciting to shop during the night.

Shops in Akihabara tend to open late around 11am. Shops stay open until about 20pm.

Akihabara Electric City is a cluster of electronic goods shops located around Akihabara station. Don't expect ultra-low prices there: the days of the cheapest cameras were gone, and you'll even find better prices in other areas. Although there are a big number of shops, I expected a higher quantity and more variety. It reminds me of the kind of shops we found during our shopping journeys to Andorra when I was a kid. Osaka's electronic city (called Nippombashi) probably offers more variety and better prices. Despite this, I still suggest to visit Akihabara, especially at the beginning of the evening.

Akihabara is known as "Electric Town" - it is here that the biggest concentration of electronic stores in Tokyo is found. The competition is cut throat and prices generally much lower than elsewhere in Tokyo. Few Tokyoites will consider a major electronic purchase without first visiting Akihabara. It is also the place to go for the latest in anime and video games.

In Japan a new model of a kitchen appliance comes on the market at least every year. For televisions, video cameras, video machines and stereos, a model is old after six months. For PC and PC peripherals the lifespan is even shorter and for some cellular phones it can be as short as five weeks! You may find electronic cheaper back home but unlikely newer. In large stores, which often have several branches in Akihabara such as Llaox, Sato Musen, Yamagiwa and Ishimaru, you can see and compare the latest models from all major Japanese manufacturers.

The love for the new often means that the old can be had for a song. Literally thousands of smaller stores sell these "last year’s models" for much cheaper than the flashier stores with the up to the minute models.

Right in front of JR Akihabara station is a kind of component market. Hundreds of minute stores, some not bigger than a seat for the owner and tens of boxes with thousands of small components are squashed in together in a small crowded area. Aisles are narrow and with stuff hanging from the ceilings taller people have to duck from time to time but you can get practically anything used in any electronic or electric device here. Need an adapter for a Dell notebook cable to plug a small South African standard three-point plug into a Japanese two-point outlet? Email me - I can cut your search down from more than 20 stalls that I had to visit to just one!

Shops in Akihabara tend to open late - at 10:00 am the place is still virtually dead. Best is to arrive at 11. Shops stay open until about 20:00. Like the rest of Tokyo

Akihabara is best reach by JR Chuo or Yamanote lines. There is an Akihabara subway station but it spews you out at the wrong end of the JR station and you are in for a long walk on pedestrian unfriendly roads. Best is to use the Ginza subway line to Suehirocho Station, which takes you to the computer shop end of Akihabara. Consumer electronic and electric devices dominate the area closer to the JR station.

People go to Akihabara to shop not to eat so the choice of restaurants in this area, although improved the last couple of years, remains dismal. Apart from some fast food outlets and a few coffee shops the choice is pretty unappetizing and it is better to head elsewhere at meal times.