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| A busy street in Akihabara. |
On Friday night Kim and I traveled to Akihabara, a district in Tokyo that has many casinos, arcades, and other entertainment centers. As we got off the train and followed the “Electric City Exit,” we were greeted by many neon signs and lit-up advertisements. Around the corner from the train station was a building for Sega, the popular video game company that created Sonic the Hedgehog.
We entered a building called “The Big Apple,” which was a five-story casino. Inside, hundreds of patrons sit at brightly-colored lottery machines and endlessly press buttons. TV shows and anime play on top of each casino machine, so customers have something to watch while they ceaselessly press buttons, hoping for three matching symbols.
The noise on each floor of the casino was deafening! I don’t understand how someone could work a full shift there without wanting to jump out of the window. I guess people get used to it. I still can’t believe how loud it was – I have never been inside a room that loud.
I think Akihabara is also known for “maid cafes,” in which the waitresses all dress up as maids. As we walked along the street we saw three or four girls in maid costumes handing out flyers. I wonder how many different types of cafes are in Japan – so far I’ve seen cat cafes and maid cafes.
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| A very loud and colorful casino in Akihabara. |
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