TOKYO?You won?t visit Akihabara when you are here, it?s like going to New York City without walking on Manhattan?s Fifth Avenue, if not lazing by a leafy glade at NYC?s Central Park not far from where John Lennon was felled by a madman?s bullet by the gates of North Dakota mansion.
Skipping Akihabara is also like bypassing May?s Organic Garden in Pahanocoy when in Bacolod City; this mini paradise of flora and fauna has become a must-visit, especially to organic buffs like Bert Bravo and me.
Simply, it?s a crime not dropping by Akihabara, Japan?s electronics capital. It is also like climbing up to Baguio and not having a bite at historic Hill Station, or grabbing a raisin bread at Baguio Country Club. A mortal sin, indeed.
And so it is that almost each time I cover the biennial Tokyo Motor Show beginning in 1993?the last nine editions as guest of Toyota Motor Philippines?there is in the itinerary a whole-day binge at Akihabara.
Over there, you will see everything, anything, about electronics?literally. Include cameras, watches, and practically all gadgets, not to mention thingamajig and bric-a-brac and what have you. It?s not just a one-stop shop, it is also a one-stop wonder?a magical place for people eager to explore everything seen, available, under the sun, especially the kind that Steve Jobs had technologically revolutionized.
To be sure, I didn?t only buy the usual pasalubongs like I-pads, tablets, head phones or cameras. Buys at Akihabara always come at a steal. For example, a Casio G-Shock costs P3,000 cheaper each than Manila?s offerings.
But in a famous shop at Akihabara called Yodobashi, an imposing 12-storey panorama of all kinds of electronic buys at dizzyingly amazing bargains, I bumped into a Filipino dude hunting for a Rolex watch.
I ushered him to the fourth floor. He was very thankful.
?In that floor, virtually all kinds of branded watches are available,? I said to him.
When he learned that I was a sportswriter, he asked: ?Does Manny Pacquiao wear a Rolex watch??
?I am not sure but let me make a guess,? I said. ?I think he does. With his billions, the most expensive, diamond-studded Rolex would just be a mere drop in the bucket for Manny.?
?Thank you,? he said. ?I trust your instinct. Excuse me while I buy one for myself.?
