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Akihabara Turns 140 This Year Date: 1/21/2007 |
| The region of otaku and electronics shops down Chudori street and those surrounding Akihabara Station is modernly often referred to as Akihabara although this area of Tokyo is actually part of the Sotokanda, Chiyoda ward. Maps inhdicate the original, true Akihabara lies a little to the north. According to Wikipedia: The area was just out of Sujikai-gomon city gate (present Mansei bridge) which was one of the city gates (Mitsuke) of old Edo (Tokyo) city. It was the gateway from inner Edo city to northern and northwestern Japan and Kan'ei-ji temple in Ueno. Many dealers, craftsmen and relatively lower class samurai lived there. In 1869 A major blaze destroyed the area. It brought about the decision to clear the 30,000 square metres land in order to keep future fires into inner Tokyo city. In 1870 this cleared land saw a small shinto shrine once located in old Edo Castle built. The shrine's name was (chinka-sha, which means "the extinguisher shrine"). But many downtown Tokyo residents misunderstood the shrine. They thought that the deity Akiba or Akiha which was the most popular fire-controlling deity in central and eastern Japan must have been enshrined in it. They also called the cleared land "Akiba ga hara" or "Akibappara" which means "the deity Akiba's square". In 1888 The shrine moved to Matsugaya, near Asakusa. In 1890 an extension of JR rail line (now the Tohoku Line) from Ueno to Akihabara was created. |
| Source: Anime News Network |
