Tag: Akihabara Radio Kaikan

Enjoying Akihabara from Kanda River

travelingpersecond
Electronic Town South Exit

Electronic Town South Exit

Dinner was finished. I hurriedly left Ameyoko Market and walked back to Ueno Station’s Hirokoji Exit. My steps were getting faster and easier because Tokunai Pass was still active in my hand. I seem to have a power to go in and out of each station since that afternoon.

It was a few minutes before 6pm, when Yamanote Line picked me up at a platform at Ueno Station. I boarded a very crowded carriage and mingled with city workers. The conditions in carriages were similar to Jakarta Commuter Line carriages in my hometown, crammed and tightly packed.

This time I would move south, two kilometers to visit the leading electronics center in Tokyo, namely Akihabara area, Japanese people usually call it Akiba.

Less than ten minutes, I arrived. Visiting Akiba meaned I was officially leaving Taitō Special City District and entering another district, namely Chiyoda. A district which is famous for existence of Imperial Palace is none other than the residence of Emperor of Japan.

I stepped out of Akihabara Station via Electronic Town South Exit. Coming out of the gate, I instantly stood on a street wich wasn’t wide, only about six meters and was immediately intimidated by tall building belonging to LABI Akihabara which was clearly displayed offering duty-free electronic goods.

It was next door to Akihabara Radio Kaikan, a ten-story commercial building to the right which left only a narrow alleyway. Meanwhile, warnings against smoking were issued at every pole in the form of a No Smoking Sign which was easily found everywhere. Then at the end of the road, a voice came out from Maidreamin Akihabara’s outside speaker.

Left: Akihabara Radio Kaikan Building.
The Sky Hop Bus costs 2,000 Yen.
Above that was Sobu Line train.
Maidreamin Akihabara, a famous maid cafe in Japan whose waiters wear maid costumes.

I continued eastward until I came to main street, Chuo-dori Avenue and I could tell that the temperature was getting colder when I arrived at a bank of Kanda River. I decided to enjoy the hustle and bustle of Akiba from the top of river, because I wasn’t really interested in entering various electronics shops in every inch of Akiba. How would I be interested if to buy a small electronic item like a stopcontact adapter, You have to spend up to 1,000 Yen.

On the streets of Akiba, local residents went back and forth so fast, they seemed to be chasing time to return to their respective homes after working all day or some night employees who still looked fresh and fit to meet their work time in their respective offices.

Not even an hour I was in Akiba, cold temperature made me give up and decided to withdraw sooner. I rushed to Electronic Town South Exit of Akihabara Station.

As the night progresses, my adventure would be more difficult because I had to fight the winter temperatures in Japan. But I will try my best to hold it in, because I didn’t want to just let go of my exploration time there.

I would now move back to Shibuya District.

Menikmati Akihabara dari Kanda River

travelingpersecond

<—-Kisah Sebelumnya

Electronic Town South Exit

Makan malah sudah selesai. Aku bergegas meninggalkan Ameyoko Market dan kembali berjalan kaki menuju Hirokoji Exit milikStasiun Ueno. Langkahku semakin cepat dan mudah karena Tokunai Pass masih aktif dalam genggaman. Aku bak punya kuasa untuk keluar masuk setiap stasiun sedari siang tadi.

Beberapa menit lagi menginjak pukul 18:00, ketika kereta Yamanote Line menjemputku di sebuah platform Stasiun Ueno. Aku menaiki kereta yang sangat padat dan berbaur dengan para pekerja kota. Keadaan dalam gerbong telah mirip dengan gerbong KRL Commuter Line Jabodetabek, berimpit dan berdesakan rapat.

Kali ini aku akan bergerak menuju selatan, sejauh dua kilometer untuk mengunjungi pusat elektronik terkemuka di kota Tokyo, yaitu kawasan Akihabara, orang Jepang lazim menyebutnya dengan panggilan Akiba.

Tak sampai sedasa menit, akupun tiba. Dengan mengunjungi Akiba berarti aku resmi meninggalkan Distrik Kota Istimewa Taitō dan memasuki distrik yang lain, yaitu Chiyoda. Sebuah distrik yang tenar dengan keberadaan Imperial Palace yang tak lain adalahkediaman Kaisar Jepang.

Aku melangkah keluar meninggalkan Stasiun Akihabara melalui Electronic Town South Exit. Keluar dari gate itu, aku sekejap berdiri di sebuah jalanan yang tak begitu lebar, hanya berkisar enam meter dan langsung terintimidasi dengan bangunan tinggi milik LABI Akihabara yang terpampang jelas menawarkan barang-barang elektronik berstatus duty-free.

Gedung itu bersebelahan dengan Akihabara Radio Kaikan, bangunan komersial sepuluh lantai di sebelah kanannya yang hanya menyisakan selarik gang sempit. Sementara peringatan larangan merokok di serukan di setiap tiang dalam wujud No Smoking Sign yang mudah ditemukan dimana-mana. Kemudian di ujung jalan sana, terdengar suara yang keluar dari speaker luar milik Maidreamin Akihabara.

Kiri: Akihabara Radio Kaikan Building.
Sky Hop Bus itu bertarif 2.000 Yen (Rp. 280.000).
Diatas itu adalah kereta Sobu Line.
Maidreamin Akihabara, sebuah maid cafe terkenal di Jepang yang pelayannya menggunakan kostum maid.

Aku terus menyusuri arah timur hingga menemukan jalanan utama, Chuo-dori Avenue dan sangat terasa bahwa suhu semakin dingin ketika aku tiba di tepi Kanda River. Kuputuskan untuk menikmati keramaian Akiba dari atas sungai itu, karena sejak tadi aku tak begitu tertarik memasuki beragam toko elektronik di setiap jengkal Akiba. Bagaimana aku tertarik jika untuk membeli benda elektronik mungil macam adapter stopcontact saja, harus merogoh kecek hingga 1.000 Yen (Rp. 135.000).

Di jalanan Akiba, hilir mudik warga lokal begitu cepat, mereka seolah mengejar waktu untuk segera pulang ke rumah masing-masing selepas bekerja seharian atau beberapa karyawan malam yang masih terlihat segar bugar menyongsong waktu kerja di kantor mereka masing-masing.

Tak genap satu jam aku berada di Akiba, suhu dingin membuatku menyerah dan memutuskan untuk undur diri lebih cepat. Aku bergegas menuju Electronic Town South Exit milik Stasiun Akihabara.

Semakin malam, petualanganku akan semakin berat karena harus melawan suhu musim dingin di Jepang. Tapi aku akan berusaha sekuat mungkin menahannya, karena aku tak mau dengan mudahnya melepas begitu saja waktu-waktu eksplorasiku disana.

Kini aku akan kembali bergerak menuju ke Distrik Shibuya.

Kisah Selanjutnya—->