Prologue: Origin of Akihabara
The area around the current Akihabara Electric Town was a residential area for lower samurai during the Edo period. As it was said, “Fires and fights are the flowers of Edo,” there were many fires at the time, and this Akihabara kawai was suffering from fires throughout the Edo period.
Taking advantage of the great fire of Aioi-cho in 1869 (Meiji 2), Tokyo Prefecture under the Meiji government at that time set up a fire removal area of 9,000 tsubo (about 30,000 square meters) here, and in 1870 (Meiji 3) the following year, from Enshu (now Shizuoka prefecture) I hired Akiba Daigongen, a firebreak, as a fire extinguisher shrine.
It was originally called “Shinfire field”, but when the fire control shrine was renamed Akibajinja (now relocated to Matsugaya, Taito-ku), it was called “Akihabara or Akibappara”. became.
It is around this that the word “Akiba” is currently abbreviated.
Generally, in the Akihabara Electric Town, after the Pacific War, the black market in the area of Surugadai/Ogawamachi gradually began to specialize in radio parts, and it was housed under a guard by a stall order in 1951 (Showa 26). It is said that it started.
However, there was a company that was engaged in wholesale/retail of home appliances in this area even before the war.
Taking advantage of the great fire of Aioi-cho in 1869 (Meiji 2), Tokyo Prefecture under the Meiji government at that time set up a fire removal area of 9,000 tsubo (about 30,000 square meters) here, and in 1870 (Meiji 3) the following year, from Enshu (now Shizuoka prefecture) I hired Akiba Daigongen, a firebreak, as a fire extinguisher shrine.
It was originally called “Shinfire field”, but when the fire control shrine was renamed Akibajinja (now relocated to Matsugaya, Taito-ku), it was called “Akihabara or Akibappara”. became.
It is around this that the word “Akiba” is currently abbreviated.
The railway was extended from Ueno in 1890 (Meiji 23), and a new station was opened in this area. The station name was named “Akihabara”, and the name became popular and nationwide. The reading of “Akihabara” has become established.
Generally, in the Akihabara Electric Town, after the Pacific War, the black market in the area of Surugadai/Ogawamachi gradually began to specialize in radio parts, and it was housed under a guard by a stall order in 1951 (Showa 26). It is said that it started.
However, there was a company that was engaged in wholesale/retail of home appliances in this area even before the war.