As I said before, I don't go in for maids or costumes, and I am far less turned on by dolls. However, I have started to realize that the Japanese love affair with dolls and costumes and worshipping the image is more than just a passing fad -- it is something spiritual, something which emanates from the heart of Japanese religion. Before I start telling you about the coolest cosplay stores and venues in Akihabara, however, I first I want to describe my own theory about why dolls and dressing up mean so much to the Japanese. Spend a bit of time in Japan and you will realize that dolls of any kind have an almost spiritual status in this country. In my opinion, this veneration of the doll, and the incredible attention to detail which goes into making them, is in fact a religious expression. It is an animist thing, a Shinto thing. It is no exaggeration to say that many Japanese believe there is a god in everything -- including dolls. Dolls are alive, which is why they get given so much respect.

Recently (October 2007) I was interviewed for Japanese TV on Akihabara's Golden Mile, alongside my pimp Maniac High (pictured), and one of the questions which was posed to me was this: "What are the things you like about Japan and Japanese culture?" I replied automatically: "Cosplay!" But while appreciating the aesthetic and spiritual dimensions of Japanese culture, I still don't totally understand cosplay, not in its freakier manifestations at least. I am not the only dumbfounded gaijin in this respect. As Gaijin Punch remarked on the Assembler discussion board: "I saw one of the pioneers of cosplay in Akihabara last week. A real, honest to God transvestite. A man (a very skinny one) dressed up like a woman. In broad daylight, with no club in sight." Yes, this is the Universe of Cosplay, on the streets of Akihabara Japan, in the opening years of the 21st Century. Want to join the orgy -- or merely watch from the sidelines, from behind the velvet curtain? The choice is yours. One thing is plain -- cosplay will never bore you. It might concern you, or seriously freak you out. Or you it might unlock the inner you. Here is a guide to Cosplay Akihabara style!

SOME OF THE BEST COSPLAY OUTLETS AND FACILITIES AND EXHIBITION SPACES YOU CAN FIND IN AKIHABARA:

Cosmate: �O�_�c�R�|�P�|�P�P.
(3-1-11 Soto Kanda, in warren of small streets off Chuo Dori.)
Phone: 03/3258 8280. Web: http://www.cosmate.net. Map: http://www.cosmate.net/akihabara.htm.
As the company website claimed: "���C�h�A�A�j���n�R�X�`���[���Ȃ炱���ɂ��C���́A�R�X���C�g�I"
This is Cosplay on an epic scale!
If maid costumes and high school girls in leotards do it for you, then this is your place.
Actually, there are three places -- the address and phone number listed above belongs to the new store, which opened recently. They are basically stores selling the company brand of costumes, and from the rather gruff reception I got when I tried to enter one of the shops last month, that they don't care too much for strangers walking in off the street, just to check out the merchandise. This place is for serious fetishists only!
What's cool is that you don't even have to visit the store to buy that leotard or maid outfit -- you can order off their website! There is for example an �A�g�����^�u���[ ("Atlanta Blue") number retailing at the moment for 7800 Yen. I am not sure if they do deliveries overseas, but you could always try!

Cospa Shop Akihabara: �O�_�c�R�|�P�T�|�T�W�[�X�g�A�A�L�o2F.
(Off Chou Dori, 2nd Floor Jiisutoa Akiba Buikding, near Akihabara Station, 3-15-5 Soto Kanda.)
Phone: 03/3770-3383. Web: http://www.cospa.com/cospaguide/englishguide.html.
This is actually a funky little shop, funky in the way that only Japanese junk and collectable shops can be -- full of quirky and cute little products. This is on the second floor of the Jiisutoa Building, which also hosts the legendary Cure Maid Cafe (see a review of that place further below.) Basically the whole building seems to be given over to models of some kind, maids, or maid costumes. On this floor are the maid costumes. The last time I was there, a couple of Japanese girls were appraising the maid and high school costumes, swooning and exclaiming: "Kawaii!" ("So cute!") There were a range of Samurai style swords at the back of the store, mugs and T-shirts printed with wierd anime scenes and slogans -- one of the shirts shows two maids at work, one with distinctive anime blue hair, and the title: "Here are our maids. They are only 13-years-old." Bizarre. Might make a cool sarcastic gift for the folks back home though..."
COSPA UPDATE (APRIL 2006): I recently got handed a document called Cospa Catalog for Girls... if anyone wants to buy it, send me 50 cents by PayPal and its yours! The latest "catalog" lists some charming items such as a traditional style Japanese ��q folding fan, emblazoned with manga -- a cool fashion item indeed for summers in Berlin or New York, and selling for 1800 Yen. There are also "book covers" and mugs based on the Kyo kara Maoh series (1000 Yen and 800 Yen respectively), high school uniforms with an anime flavor, book markers, neckties, uniforms based on those worn in Gakuen Heaven: Boy's Love Hyper, and plenty of other stuff. Hit the official Cospa website listed above to see the latest goods on sale.

Cospa Shop Shibuya: �a�J�{�X�a�J��~�R���T�|�R�����r��.
(Hagihara Building, 5-3 Maruyamamachi, Shibuya ward, Tokyo.)
Phone: 03/3770-3383. Web: http://www.cospa.com/cospaguide/englishguide.html.
This one isn't actually at Akihabara but over at Shibuya, which is probably the coolest part of Tokyo for extreme fashion. If you come here for a browse and it is a weekend (especially Sunday), make sure you head up to Yoyogi Park at Harajuku to see all the cosplay chicks. There are some truly funked up pieces of clothing available at this store.
As with some of the other cosplay stores on this page, however, the store is really a front for a wider company which also sells merchandise online. Visit the English webpage listed above for information about how you can order goods sent to foreign countries.
The company website claims: "Our company, Cospa, is an apparel, costume and character merchandise manufacturer. Our design concept is to create new trend of charactered-apparel, with application of MANGA, ANIME, and TV game characters. Along with these products,we design and manufacture apparel-oriented products. Our business policy is to produce only the approved and licensed merchandises. "

Cosplay Academy Cave: �䓌��r�V�[�P�|�P�|�Q�E�X�_���R�[�WB1F.
(Basement floor Usudamu Kouji building, 1-1-2 Ikenobata, Taito Ward Tokyo.)
Phone: 03/3834 5018. Web: http://www.cosplay-academy.com. Map: http://www.cosmate.net/akihabara.htm.
Today walking through Akihabara (2006-03-05) I got handed a packet of tissues by a pretty girl in a high school uniform -- a regular event for Tokyo to be sure, nothing strange at all. On inspecting the tissues I found the word "NEW OPEN!" Beneath this piece of Japanese-English there was an ad for a new establishment called Cosplay Academy CAVE, and two pretty anime style girls with big blue eyes and vibrant purple hair. They were also wearing high school uniforms which might give you an idea about the nature of this shop.

Cure Maid Cafe: �O�_�c�R�|�P�T�|�T�W�[�X�g�A�A�L�o6F.
(Off Chou Dori, 6th Floor Jiisutoa Akiba Buikding, near Akihabara Station, 3-15-5 Soto Kanda.)
Phone: 03/3258-3161. Web: http://www.curemaid.jp.
This is the cafe where waitresses are called names like Pudding or Chocolate. As with other cafes, the establishment runs a website where customers and waitresses can chat. According to the manager: "We get nearly 1,000 page visitors a day, which is unbelievable for a restaurant."
Unlike some other cafes, the maids here are elegant rather than sexy. Some of the items on the menu include pasta for 800 Yen, sandwiches for 500 Yen, and beer at 500 Yen per glass. You can also buy sets of cards featuring what else but lots of manga style portraits of maids, and there are some pretty expensive but highly detailed maid dolls on sale for like 8000 Yen. I forgot to mention earlier that otaku are doll freaks. In fact, I want to devote a page on my website on way to the Japanese obsession for dolls because I think it is a Shinto thing.

Jupiter Akiba Clothes Shop: �O�_�c�R-�P�S-�U�b��r��6F.
Phone: 03/3252 2918. Web: http:jupiter-akiba.jp .
Cosplay on Chuo Dori.
When you see a place in Akihabara which advertises itself as a "clothes shop", you better sit up and take note -- this ain't no ordinary clothes shop. Nothing in Akihabara is ordinary. While Jupiter Akihaba, on the sixth floor of a tower overlooking Chuo Dori, proclaims itself to be a clothes store, it is really a cosplay joint. A cosplay heaven, if you will. Because Cosplay = Heaven, in the views of many folks.
On the very top (6th) floor�Cno irashaimase when you enter this place. It is too serious for that. If you make it here�Cyou will be surprised by the wierd crosscontrast of the uniforms. Mannequins of SS officers in full death regalia stand alongside flight attendants and maids and high school girls. Nice touch that...
To see a Macromedia Flash presentation of various beauties (some of them bluehaired, in true anime tradition!) modelling Jupiter Akiba fashion wear/ware, click here.

Laox Asobit C.
Phone: 03/3257 2590. Web: www.laox.co.jp/english/laox_store/asobit_c.html. Map: http://www.laox.co.jp/english/images/map.gif.
The "C" in this department store name means "character", and we are not talking about Chinese characters here! Incidentally, "Asobit" is a play on words combining the Japanese for play (asobi) and the bit from bits and bytes fame. Semantics aside, however, this is one serious repository of anime paraphanalia. In the basement you will find the adult publications such as comics, novels (literary and adult-themed novels as well as books based on games), magazines and Gachapon. This is truly adults' only territory -- people under 18 will not be allowed down the stairs or out of the lift. Things are a bit more family-minded on the first floor, which is devoted to trading figures, miniatures, collectable sets, fancy characters and character-based publications and DVD's. The second floor is filled with new character figurines, Gundam plastic models, paints, and relared publications and DVD's. The third floor is the "Anime Character Floor" and features the likes of Microman, Pokemon, Transformers, Zoids, and American toys. There are also goodies for the girls. The fourth floor is devoted to special effects and heroes, with Masked Rider, Godzilla, Ultraman and company filling the shelves.
The highlight of the building, in my opinion, is the fifth floor. This is where (as I described in lurid detail somewhere above) I stumbled upon a row of lifesize anime dolls and maids with US$6000 price tags. The floor also includes blister figures and smaller dolls, as well as plenty of costumes.

M's Shop:.
Web: http://www.ms-online.co.jp.
It's basically a sex goods emporium. I am not game enough to take photos inside but if you want to see how it looks, click here.
Cheap Bastard pointed out on his guide (mostly dedicated to porn): "This is a four-floor store that sells all sorts of pornographic shit. Funny, I didn't see any hentai manga, although they did have hentai anime. Anyhow, this used to be where a video store called Rocket Soft once lived, although that's not why I've included it in this guide. No, I've included it because of the surreal experience I had there. The store opened recently (recently meaning way back in May, damn I've been lazy about updating this section), and being a Curious Bastard I decided to see what was what. It was after working hours, so I found myself in a store full of young and middle-aged businessmen poring over, well, porn. This whole scene of salarymen earnestly scrutinizing various dildos, whips, riding crops, panties, and other accessories quite frankly scared the beejezus out of me. Having visited each floor briefly, I quickly departed this palatial proprietor of pr0n."
It should be noted that it is not only men who get into the costumes and sex aids at M's Shop. The adult convenience store manages to sell a lot of sexy costumes to girls. "When a girl tries one on, often she asks us to take a photo of her," a store PR guy said. "There are too many customers like that, and our walls are plastered with their photos."
I am heading up to Akihabara tomorrow to check this out for myself.

Another unique shop in Akihabara is the so-called video box that features gorgeous rooms and a big collection of animation and adult video tapes. "Even diehard fans will never get bored," said a salesperson for one such place, Hanataro.