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The Akiba: A Manga Guide to the Akihabara

Date: 2008 November 07 13:04

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We've been sent a press release for a new book that sounds perfect for otaku paying a trip to Tokyo. The Akiba: A Manga Guide to the Akihabara (published by Japan Publications Trading), is an interesting blend of manga and travel guide.

Update: We've reviewed The Akiba: A Manga Guide to the Akihabara

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Press release as follows:

THE AKIBA
Takes Fans of Tokyo's Coolest Neighborhood On A Guided Tour

Packed with shops of every kind, gaming centers, clubs, bars and restaurants in just a half-mile radius, Tokyo's Akihabara – also known as "The Akiba" – is on its way to fast becoming the epicenter of modern Japanese pop culture.

And while Tokyo's shopping district for all things hip can be a daunting place to navigate, help is at hand with The Akiba : A Manga Guide to the Akihabara (Japan Publications Trading, $19.95, November 2008), a clever and easy-to-follow guide offering practical information.

Part manga and part travel guide, The Akiba opens with a story in which a young woman named Yoko carries out a desperate search for her boyfriend, Hiroshi, who seems to have disappeared from the streets of the Akihabara.

Yoko's search leads her through the district's winding streets, where she uncovers all of the neighborhood's hot spots – from maid cafes to discounted electronics stores to anime shops – only to discover that Hiroshi has been harboring a very, deep secret...

The second part of the book is a complete visitors' guide to the Akihabara, filled with full-color photographs, detailed maps, transportation information and a complete listing of the locations mentioned throughout the story, organized by category.

The history and development of the Akihabara, which evolved from Tokyo's electronics center to its most recent incarnation as the hub of street music, is also chronicled in the book.

An entertaining glimpse into the Akihabara, The Akiba illustrates the eccentric appeal of the district's commercial lure, while offering an insider's scoop on Tokyo's hippest scene for natives and visitors alike.

Source: Japan Publications Trading
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