Since Akihabara is probably my favorite place in all of Japan, I always make a trip to the game / toy / perversion mecca to window shop and see what's new. Since it's the tail end of the summer tourist season, everywhere in Tokyo is absolutely jam-packed with people. Perhaps I'm a bit hyper sensitive to this, having just come from the countryside.
There's not much new in ol' Akiba. Sony recently announced redesigned PS3 and PSP systems, but since those won't launch in Japan until September and November respectively, much is quiet on the hardware front. Perhaps next month's Tokyo Game Show will bring some exciting surprise announcements from publishers
On the software side, Square-Enix's Dragon Quest IX continues to be the top-selling game across the country, having sold well over three million units since its release last month. Other hot games include Monster Hunter Tri and Wii Sports Resort, both for Wii.
Japan's national election is in exactly one week. There's a very real possibility that the Democratic Party of Japan will beat out the LDP for the first time in a decade.
I half expected to see Prime Minister Aso dressed in cosplay on an Akiba street corner, preaching about the global significance of Japanese popular culture.
B.E.W.
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