Akihabara's best kept secret is not a nerdy Gundam store. It's a revitalzied train station filled with trendy shops, bars, and restaurants.
Do you like trendy shopping? How about cool architecture? Are you interested in Japanese history? In trains?
If you answered "yes" to any (or all) of these questions, you'll want to visit mAAch ecute Kanda Manseibashi, a historic Tokyo train station built under a railway bridge that's been converted into a modern shopping mall. Yes, you read that correctly, and it's as fascinating as it sounds. Rarely overcrowded, always changing, and centrally located in busy Akihabara, mAAch ecute is an unexpected treat—and a well-kept secret.
First, though, a little history. The giant red brick Manseibashi viaduct that hugs the Kanda River in Akihabara was constructed in 1912 as the Manseibashi Train Station, which for many years served as an important hub for Tokyo transit. It was designed by Mr. Tatsuno Kingo (辰野金吾), who also designed Tokyo Station, built two years later—Manseibashi is sometimes referred to as the "older brother" (お兄さん) of Tokyo Station. Manseibashi burned down in 1923 following the Great Kantō Earthquake, was rebuilt, and (while still functioning as a train station) housed a transportation museum starting in 1936. In the early 1940s, as the Pacific War was growing more serious, the number of passengers decreased significantly, and the station closed in 1943.
Fast-forward seventy years to 2013, and Manseibashi Station has re-opened as a fully modern commercial retail space, with incredible architecture, interesting cafés and shops, and enough of its historical past still on display to make it interesting and quirky. For those in the know, mAAch ecute is a low-stress gathering spot for discerning shoppers, railway nerds, and historians keen on Japanese architecture.
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