Time to fill in the details! Previously, we shared stories about the employment ice age, which touched upon the dawn of otaku culture. This inevitably leads us to discuss Akihabara, the holy land for otaku and one of the main stages where the story of "The Last Poem"unfolds.
What we present next is the "Akihabara · Scenes Chapter." This section will focus on the streetscape of Akihabara in 1999.
"The Last Poem"meticulously recreates the unique atmosphere of late-1990s Akihabara through detailed restoration of iconic locales. Some of these buildings still stand today, while others have become teardrops of a bygone era.
Now, let's return to Akihabara in 1999!
■ Akihabara: From Electric Town to Otaku Culture Holy Land
Akihabara is a district famous for its continuous transformation over time.
Originally known as a major commercial area centered around Akihabara Station, famous for its high concentration of home appliance stores. Since the 1990s, with the popularization of personal computers and video games, it gradually became a landmark gathering point for secondary dimension otaku culture (moe elements) like anime, manga, and bishōjo games.
In the late 1990s, a signature summer event was the computer-related exhibition "Internet Show in Akihabara" (called "AKIBAX" from 1999 onwards), held at the plaza in front of Akihabara Station. This period can truly be called the unmistakable "dawn" of otaku culture.
Remember the spot where Emi was greeting everyone in the PV? Does anyone recognize which location in Akihabara this is? The answer will be revealed later! Please read on.
▌How Conceptual Design Narrates the Story's Atmosphere
The conceptual design for this work is handled by designer 大石竜子, a representative of distinctive styles in the Japanese bishōjo game industry, known for eerie visual designs and brilliant color expression. He is primarily responsible for works like "Forest", "Kaeen no Inkānoku"(赫炎の印加諾克), and "To-Hanaitan"(徒花異譚).
Image of Akihabara created by 大石竜子 (partial)
1. Old Akihabara Station Signboard
2. In Front of the Radio Kaikan and Akihabara Department Store
Not far from the Denki-Gai (Electric Town) exit of JR Akihabara Station stood a five-story building – the "Akihabara Radio Kaikan". Its facade featured a highly recognizable yellow signboard reading "Sekai no Radio Kaikan Akihabara" (Akihabara, the Radio Kaikan of the World).
The Akihabara Radio Kaikan was a core landmark building in Tokyo's Akihabara, integrating electronics retail, anime culture, and doujin transactions, also witnessing the area's transformation from an electric town to a holy land of secondary dimension culture.
However, the concept art recreates the Radio Kaikan as it looked in 1999. That original five-story building was actually demolished in 2011 due to seismic concerns. The Radio Kaikan people visit now is a rebuilt 10-story commercial building completed in July 2014.
3. Inside the Radio Kaikan
Following our perspective inside the Radio Kaikan, shelves in the left aisle displayed anime goods like Evangelion'sAsuka and Sailor Moon. Counters on the right held electronic components, various wires, tools, and decorative lights. The price tags recreate the feel of the era, dotted with numerous fluorescent small tags.
This layout is typical of Akihabara shops in the late 1990s: a transitional state mixing electronic parts and anime goods.
It is worth noting that another anime played a pivotal role in driving Akihabara's transformation. The 1995 broadcast of Neon Genesis Evangelion ignited a craze among Japanese youth, and the 1997 theatrical release pushed this fervor to its peak. It not only sparked nationwide discussions but also fueled a frenzy for merchandise, significantly stimulating the anime industry's growth and propelling ACG culture further into the mainstream.
Take the iconic Radio Kaikan building as a prime example: its interior is largely occupied by ACG merchandise. This clustering effect attracted massive foot traffic, helping transform Akihabara into the epicenter of otaku culture.
4. Akihabara · Station Front Plaza
After the old Kanda Seika Market (旧神田青果市場) was demolished in 1989, the site was temporarily used as a basketball court during its idle period.
However, in 2006, the station front plaza was redeveloped into the modern commercial complex Akihabara Crossfield, comprising Akihabara Daibiru (31 stories) and Akihabara UDX (22 stories), emerging as new landmarks for Akihabara.
5. Akihabara Main Street
Signboards lined both sides of the main street, outlining the streetscape tone of late-1990s Akihabara.
6. Akihabara Signboard Cluster
The dense and staggered cluster of signboards along Akihabara's main street was created to match the style of that time.
7. SEGA Building & Under the Overpass
Nakaura's fish signboard, SEGA's sign, and Sonic (ソニック) were distinctive, so their colors and shapes were referenced.
The SEGA building on the right side under the elevated railway corresponds in reality to "SEGA Akihabara Building 1", which opened in 1992, becoming a representative spot for Akihabara's game culture. It was later renamed "GiGO Akihabara Building 1" and, regrettably, closed permanently on August 31, 2025.
8. 肉の万世 (Restaurant Name)
After closing his radio parts store, Mr. Kano opened the Western-style restaurant "肉の万世" by the Mansei-bashi bridge in 1991, carving out a niche for meat in the electronics district.
Its iconic red bull's head sign also became one of Akihabara's symbols.
Regrettably, Niku no Bansei Akihabara closed its doors on March 31, 2024, ending its 33-year operation in Akihabara.
Answer revealed! The building behind Emi in the greeting scene is precisely the restaurant "Niku no Bansei", and Emi is standing near the site of the former Mansei-bashi Station.
9. Transportation Museum & Kanda River / Near Mansei-bashi
Mansei-bashi Station was named after the Mansei-bashi bridge spanning the nearby Kanda River. It opened in 1912 with the commencement of the Chūō Line section between Shōhei-bashi and Mansei-bashi, once serving as the terminus of the Chūō Line.
In 1936, the Tetsudō Hakubutsukan (Railway Museum, later called the Transportation Museum) was established adjacent to the station building, with the station retaining only partial facilities. Due to declining passengers, Mansei-bashi Station ceased operations in 1943.
The Transportation Museum, located on the site of the former Mansei-bashi Station, comprehensively displayed Japanese transportation history, just a three-minute walk from Akihabara Station. Later, due to increasing exhibits, space constraints, and building aging, the Transportation Museum also closed on May 14, 2006, ending its 70-year history.
The above are the scenes of Akihabara, undergoing its "cross-dimensional" transformation in 1999, that "The Last Poem"strives to recreate.
Beyond these Akihabara scenes, the depictions of the crowds – people coming to Akihabara to work, shop, and play – are also very interesting. So, the sharing of Akihabara's conceptual design is to be continued... Please look forward to it
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That's all for this update. The next character is self-evident.
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