Akihabara station

Akihabara started in 1890 as a freight station, connected to the river trade of the nearby canal. Passengers gained access from 1925, when the elevated line extended Tokyo's north-south axis. After the Second World War, the stalls selling radio components installed beneath the tracks contributed to the birth of Electric Town. The district then specialized in consumer electronics, computing, and later the cultures of video games, manga, and animation. Today the station links JR East, the Hibiya line, and the Tsukuba Express. Its exits serve as so many entrances to very different facets of the district, from the historic technical market to the large contemporary retailers.

The name Akihabara comes from Akiba, a shrine dedicated to protection against fire following a great blaze in 1869. The district's pronunciation has shifted over time, but this origin remains hidden in its present-day name.

Freight opening

1890

Passengers

Since 1925

Neighborhood

Electric Town and pop culture