2k540 2k540 AKI-OKA ARTISAN

Escape otaku overload at an artsy arcade under JR lines

Mention Akihabara and maid cafes and otaku spring to mind. But walking toward Akihabara from JR Okachimachi Station and underneath the elevated railway tracks is a makers' market where obsessions are of a different kind.

Named 2k540, the arts and crafts shopping precinct features around 50 different artisanal shops, studios, galleries, and cafes. The stores sell everything from leather goods to woodwork to jewelry, and visitors are invited to try their hand making various goods, although most classes are taught in Japanese only. Most of the goods sold are one-offs, making this arcade a worthwhile place to shop for one-of-a-kind mementos and souvenirs.

The only thing geeky about 2k540 is its name. A nod to railway terminology, “2k540 Aki-Oka Artisan” refers to both its distance from Tokyo Station (2.54 kilometers) and its location between Akihabara (Aki) and Okachimachi (Oka) stations.