How Akihabara went from consumer electronics mecca to capital of ‘Cool Japan’ Today 06:00 am JST Today | 06:51 am JST Photo: ElHeineken, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons TOKYO Akihabara has changed a great deal in the last 25 years. Back in the early '90s, when Japanese electronics makers dominated the world and the bubble economy had yet to pop, every other store was selling consumer electronics and the billboards of Akihabara were crowded with advertisements for products made by Sony, Panasonic and Sharp. Fast forward 30 years, and ...