This diversification is spreading throughout Akihabara. Some bookstores there now sell goods not stocked in the average store, from comic books published by amateur manga writers to video game software. More retailers are stocking collectors' items, like figurines of characters from games and animated movies. You can even pretend you are one of those characters with a costume from one of the stores.

According to one theory, these items sell well here because they are the kind of thing computer lovers want. But it is more likely because Akihabara always stocks the latest, most innovative products, whether electrical components, computers or hobby goods.

The main types of products sold here have changed with the times, but one thing that remains the same is that Akihabara is still a jumble of merchandise, from appliances for the home to products for animated film lovers. And the district keeps evolving. A large lot just north of the station is being redeveloped. An IT Center for new industries and IT training is being constructed there, and after the scheduled opening in 2006, the district will continue to change, in ways many people are eager to see.