Incorporation of Difference: Branding and Spatial Restructuring of Akihabara’s Subcultural Space

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-783-5_16How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Akihabara; subcultural space; incorporation of difference; urban branding; spatial restructuring

Abstract

This paper examines Akihabara in Tokyo as a case of subcultural urban transformation. It aims to explain how Akihabara’s identity as an electronics district and otaku gathering place has been reshaped into a global consumption landscape. The study argues that Akihabara’s subcultural character has not simply disappeared. Instead, it has been selectively preserved, amplified, and reorganized through urban branding, tourism, redevelopment policies, and capital-driven commercial change. The research uses qualitative text analysis, spatial observation, and classification of business types. It draws on academic literature, policy and promotional texts, news reports, travel materials, social media discussions, shop reviews, streetscape images, and maps. The findings show that electronic parts shops, second-hand goods, hobby stores, maid cafés, and idol theaters once produced a space based on searching, exploration, and community identity. However, under the influence of the “Cool Japan” narrative, redevelopment projects such as Akihabara Crossfield, these practices have increasingly been translated into visible, photographable, and easily recognizable urban symbols. This process has led to more standardized commercial functions, more image-oriented streetscapes, and a reordering of user priorities. The paper concludes that Akihabara’s transformation should be understood not only as commercialization or touristification, but as a process in which urban difference is recognized, commodified, and governed.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Jingyi Li
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/30
TI  - Incorporation of Difference: Branding and Spatial Restructuring of Akihabara’s Subcultural Space
BT  - Proceedings of the 2026 2nd International Conference on Resilient City and Safety Engineering (ICRCSE 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 156
EP  - 165
SN  - 2352-5401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-783-5_16
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-783-5_16
ID  - Li2026
ER  -