Akihabara is the kind of place where you meet every type of person in one short walk.
Office workers released from their buildings, foreign tourists following maps, locals running errands, and—let’s be honest—the largest group of all: otaku. Including me.
And because the streets are dense and the shops are close, you end up hearing pieces of conversation even when you are not trying to listen.
Normally, you should not repeat what strangers say. I know that. But I also write to capture the atmosphere of Akihabara, and some moments are too specific to ignore.
So this is a real day in Akihabara, told as a set of small scenes.
Please read to the end.
A Quiet Cafe Near the Station
That day I was tired from walking. I drifted into a cafe the way you drift into shade in summer.
It was not a maid cafe. It was not a themed cafe. Just a simple place focused on coffee, with no real meals—more like a calm pit stop. It is about one minute on foot from JR Akihabara Station.
To avoid causing trouble for anyone involved, I will not write the cafe name.
The Person Who Speaks in Goza-ru
The cafe was quiet. Many people were staring at their phones. Almost nobody was talking.
I placed my shopping bag on the floor near my feet. Not resale. Just my own finds. I finally sat down and felt that small happiness you get when your legs stop aching. I was thinking about dinner.
Then a voice suddenly rose from the staircase leading to the basement seats.
That is why I have no interest, de goza-ru.
More than one person was involved. It sounded like a small group, and one person was clearly the loudest.
I almost never sit in the basement. I only go down there when I need the restroom. I usually do not stay long in this cafe, so I had never really heard what the basement crowd was like.
But that phrase hit me with a strange nostalgia. It sounded like an old-school internet character. The kind of line you would expect from a background character in early otaku stories.
I listened, not because I wanted gossip, but because it was impossible not to notice.
Go by yourself, de goza-ru.
From the tone, they were arguing about where to go next. A shop. An event. Something like that. It felt like the group wanted one plan, and the goza-ru guy wanted another.
Then he escalated.
I came to see my favorite girl, de goza-ru. I cannot waste money on extra things, de goza-ru.
He was high-pitched and intense. Judging from the voice and the content, he was probably in his twenties or thirties. He sounded like someone who had a specific maid he wanted to see, and the group was trying to pull him to a different place.
I understood the feeling. If you have a clear favorite, you want to bet your time and money on that one target. If that is the case, the logical move is simple: leave the group and go alone.
In my head I was thinking, do it. Time is limited. Go.
And then the group started moving closer to the entrance. They were leaving the cafe. The voices came nearer.
At the last second, the goza-ru guy changed his tone.
…I will just show my face for a moment.
So you are going.
Even so, one thing was important. In that group, he was clearly the center. They teased him, but they also followed him. He was strange, but not hateful. He was one of those characters Akihabara produces naturally.
And once they were gone, the cafe finally became quiet again.
The Local Status Grandpa
Not long after that, an older man entered the cafe, breathing hard and making heavy noises as if he had been walking fast.
He was muttering. It was hard to understand.
A young female staff member noticed him immediately.
Staff: Oh, you are here again.
Some grandpa: Grumble… grumble… (unclear)
Staff: Are you in a bad mood today.
Some grandpa: I was… there… those kids… (unclear) …grumble.
Staff: That sounds scary.
Some grandpa: Iced cafe latte. Regular size. (breathing hard)
Staff: …Okay.
He opened a newspaper with a lot of force. The pages slapped loudly. You could feel the anger in the movement.
He kept complaining, still half unclear. But the core message was easy to guess. On the sidewalk nearby, a group had blocked the way. He glared at them, and they laughed at him. He swallowed it in the moment, then carried the anger into the cafe.
Honestly, that alone was not special. People complain in cafes all the time.
But he did not stop. Once he started, he poured it out as if he wanted the entire room to hear.
And because his words were messy, I will write the meaning in a clearer form.
Some grandpa: Do you know who I am.
Some grandpa: I do not care where you are from, you country people.
Some grandpa: I will say this at the neighborhood meeting.
The staff member had no reply.
It was a common story, but the way he performed it felt unpleasant. He was probably someone who had worked around here for a long time. He probably felt humiliated. But he also seemed like the type who cannot keep thoughts inside.
For this cafe, I often see veteran staff chatting loudly with regulars. But this was the first time I saw a regular act like he owned the place while snapping at a young staff member.
I had one thought.
Everyone, please be normal.
The Couple Who Insisted They Were Not Otaku
Next came a middle-aged man and a woman around her thirties. That is my rough guess.
They sounded tense the moment they walked in.
Man: So when can you pay it back.
Woman: Sorry. At the end of the month I have a collection coming in, so…
Man: Work harder.
I noticed a pattern. Why did everyone enter this cafe while angry.
Then the woman suddenly shifted the topic.
She changed the subject, a little too quickly.
The conversation took a turn.
Woman: Anyway. I got a new customer, and it is hilarious.
Man: What kind.
Woman: Anime. Some title. I do not know it.
At that point, I thought, I do not want to hear this.
Woman: He came carrying a huge pile of merch. Rich guy.
Man: How old.
Woman: Twenty-five or twenty-six. Seriously funny.
I will be honest.
I hated them.
Man: Do not talk trash about your customer.
Woman: Loud laughter.
Man: Then earn properly.
Woman: I know, I know. (awkward laughter)
The conversation sounded ugly, and the laughter sounded forced. I do not care what their relationship was. But they were speaking loudly in public, and it felt like they wanted to be heard.
So I did what I should have done earlier.
I turned on noise canceling in my AirPods.
The Businessman from Kansai on a Work Trip
After that, a man in a suit suddenly started a phone call at the counter.
He was loud even before he spoke. He threw his bag and phone onto the table with too much force. But at least he did not sound angry. He sounded energetic.
Man: Yeah, it is me, it is me.
Man: I am in Akihabara right now.
His voice was huge. I thought I might finally hear real Kansai-style speech in the wild.
Then he said the classic line.
Man: I am not an otaku. (laughs)
Silence in my head.
Man: I finally found a place to take a break. I am done for today.
He looked like he was in his mid-forties, roughly.
Man: Leave it to me. Leave it to me.
Then, after a pause:
Man: …I will do it. Just kidding. (mumbling)
It was hard to tell if the person on the phone understood him. Sometimes it felt like he was talking to the cafe more than to the call.
Even without trying to listen, the volume made it impossible to ignore. From what I caught, he had finished work in Nipponbashi and came to Akihabara afterward.
So yes. He came because he wanted to.
Just admit it.
When the call ended, he left the cafe quickly, as if he suddenly felt embarrassed.
That is the risk of performing in Akihabara. The city is full of people who can read your act instantly.
One more note.
He never said the word wai.
So my dream of hearing the full stereotype in real life did not come true.
My Perspective
This was one day of meeting strange people in Akihabara.
To be clear: I am an otaku. I know I am weird too.
This is not me looking down on people or mocking them for enjoying Akihabara. I am only calling someone strange when they send unpleasant signals into a shared public space.
On the other hand, when someone has a strong character and openly displays it, I sometimes call that strange in a positive way. Akihabara has always been a city where characters appear in public without apology.
And the truth is, that day did not end here.
More happened after this.
This article is already long, so I will write the second part as the next entry in the series.
If you were thinking, this is not even otaku talk, or I want something bigger, then please wait for the next one.
Thank you for reading to the end.
Quotation and reference
I quoted and referred to the information from this article.
We deeply consider and experience Japanese otaku culture!
All Write: Kumao
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