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Tour Tokyo's Tech Paradise, Now On Google Street View
Posted by John Mahoney at 11:00 PM on August 6, 2008
Google's dutiful camera vans have finished canvassing Tokyo, which means today you can now tour some of the world's most geek-friendly real estate in "electric town" Akihabara without the 14 hour plane flight. The folks at Mars Mag have put together a tour of some of their favourite Linux Maid Cafes, Dream PC builders, arcade palaces and electronics megastores that call Akihabara home.
Places like the Linux Cafe, your Gateway to the Open Source Computers!
Or Yodobashi Camera, one of the biggest electronics stores anywhere. A bajillion floors packed to the brims.
And little hovels like the Queen Dolce Cafe, where untold costumed geekery happens well above street level.
Google Street View also hit in Australia today, so if anyone unearths a magical district of electronics wonders down under, let me know. And hit Mars Mag for more: [Mars Mag]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
Yifkong
Posted 11:26 PM 6/8/08
COOL! I've idled away a few minutes here and there "touring" other USA cities...but Japan? Technology stores aside, I find clicking up and down the streets fascinating. The clothes, the street signs, the skyline. Very cool.
Yifkong
GeekyNerdGuy
Posted 11:09 PM 6/8/08
Is this where they're having the stabbing rampages?
GeekyNerdGuy
Con Seannery
Posted 11:06 PM 6/8/08
what ever happened to complete privacy?
Con Seannery
Hectorvex
Posted 11:04 PM 6/8/08
Ok... so it's like a picture of the outside of a porn DVD case. Not the picture on the box, with the delightful porn inside, but OF the box. I'd rather fly 14 hours and get in the store, than look on the outside. However, since I'm not going to Japan anytime soon - this'll do. Have they done Amsterdam yet?
Hectorvex
mangamonster
Posted 11:04 PM 6/8/08
THIS IS BADASS!
mangamonster
mfaerber
Posted 12:12 AM 7/8/08
Oh man, combine what I just said with the fact that you can use just your arrow keys to move around... Too cool.
mfaerber
mfaerber
Posted 12:09 AM 7/8/08
Oh neat, you can stretch the street cam across dual monitors for an ultra-widescreen view.
mfaerber
jwrose
Posted 12:06 AM 7/8/08
Ah, the Linux Cafe- unfortunately, that's not really what's there anymore. They've left up the old sign. Used to be one of the few places that provided free wi-fi, but that's no longer. :(
jwrose
atomx
Posted 12:01 AM 7/8/08
When is Google Upskirt coming online?
atomx
yellowspaced
Posted 1:34 AM 7/8/08
Ahh, the memories from japan. I wish Google would date and time stamp these so i could try and see if i can find myself.
yellowspaced
MinceyFresh
Posted 2:12 AM 7/8/08
Screw Akihabara--I wanna see Street Views of Shibuya and Umeda!
MinceyFresh
Antioch18
Posted 2:37 AM 7/8/08
@MinceyFresh:
@iomatic:
They're there, ya noobs. Just go to maps.google.com - Gizmodo only posted about Akihabara because of the geek/nerd factor. Enjoy.
Antioch18
iomatic
Posted 2:29 AM 7/8/08
@MinceyFresh: Yeah, Meiji Garden, Shinjuku, hell even Ginza-- all much more interesting than Akihabara. Unless, as mentioned, you are inside Yodobashi.
Really good mom and pop tonkatsu around Akihabara, though!
iomatic
maven2k
Posted 3:13 AM 7/8/08
This is so cool. I can already feel my life being sucked into my laptop as I stare this for a few hours.
maven2k
Antioch18
Posted 2:58 AM 7/8/08
Mm, this is sweet. I found my old apartment and my old school - and walked all the routes I used to walk....
Antioch18
Tony C
Posted 3:54 AM 7/8/08
LOL!! Are those habitrail tubes in the first photo? :D
Tony C
Ariel_Wollinger
Posted 3:41 AM 7/8/08
I wonder when it will hit Santa Efigênia in São Paulo, our poor man's Akihabara! LOL.
Ariel_Wollinger
Rybones2112
Posted 6:05 AM 7/8/08
This is excellent! 4 more weeks until I am there. This has allowed me to start scouting things out a bit. Although it would have been cool to be walking down the street when they were taking these shots ;)
Rybones2112