Information on Japanese Pop Culture, Anime, Manga for Visitors

Internet search is a fantastic resource to find information on just about anything, but this information is often scattered to the four winds and it is pretty much a treasure hunt.

Today, I'm going to put down some links to some accessible sources of high-quality information for the traveler to Japan about anime, Akihabara, manga, and Japanese pop culture. Hopefully, the treasure hunt becomes a little easier.

Web Information About Japanese Pop Culture

• Discover Japan  www.gov-online.go.jp/pdf/hlj_img/vol_0018et/04-17.pdf
• Creative Japan  www.uk.emb-japan.go.jp/en/creativejapan/creativejapan_pdf.pdf
• Japan Gross National Cool
• Contemporary Japan, 1989-Present 
• Manga in America at Wired Magazine

• JNTO - Anime and Manga.  The map shown above is discontinued.
  
• Convenience Stores: Can't Live Without Them!?
• Wikipedia (make your own book by topic there - also excellent place to get the Japanese characters for something you are looking for to do a search anywhere else).
• Google Maps - Streetview.  See where you are supposed to go before you go there.  Made my life infinitely easier.
• A pretty good little guide to Tokyo Districts with maps and pics at japan-guide.com.

Books
Cut and paste the text into your browser for the Japanese characters if you have to.

• The Otaku Encyclopedia: An Insider's Guide to the Subculture of Cool Japan [Paperback]
  Patrick W. Galbraith
• TOKYO The Greatest Travel Tips 英語で歩く東京 [単行本]. Must order this on Amazon.co.jp
• 旅の指さし会話帳〈21〉JAPAN (ここ以外のどこかへ!) [ペーパーバック]  This is a point and look Japanese phrasebook with lots of images.  Must order this on Amazon.co.jp

These books, pdfs, and links gave a pretty good intro for traveling to Japan for modern pop culture.  Just don't forget about the wonderful food and historical culture over there too.   I had a great time when I was there and probably had a big goofy grin much of the time I was there.  I've traveled to number of other countries and even lived in Greece for awhile, but I had a lot of fun on my trip there.  Some places have changed in Akihabara since this information was published; a big one being the demolition of the Radio Kaikan Building (where Stein's Gate is set), but the businesses will temporarily relocate and move to another "permanent" home at some point - maybe even back into the rebuilt replacement building.