Taking Akiba Back from The Otaku – Mitsuo Hashiba

Long before the maker movement existed, Akihabara was world famous as a destination for hardware geeks, robotics nerds, and audiophiles and tinkerers of all kinds. Hundreds of tiny specialty shops lined the areas back streets and did a surprising brisk business in items you could not find anywhere else. The internet changed all that. The specialty electronics and computer goods could be found far more easily and for far less money. Even the maker communities began to migrate online. Over the next decade Akihabara changed from the heart of the maker community into the center of otaku culture with mama shops and maid cafes lining the streets. Mitsuo Hashiba, the General Manager of DMM.make Akiba plans to take Akihabara back to it’s maker roots. DMM.make Akiba is the most ambitious IoT - focused maker space in Japan, and they are already attracting international attention and the community has produced some pretty innovative hardware startups. It’s a great interview, and I think you’ll enjoy it.