Akihaburo

Akihaburo (アキハブロ区) is one of the wards of Toyokin, Takyoto. It is considered as the shopping and entertainment capital of Takyoto, being the location of many famous flagship stores. It once held the capital for gambling and casino entertainment in Takyoto, until a separate ward took over that property in 1976.

The name "Akihaburo" is a knock-off of the district in Tokyo, Akihabara. It was originally named Kinjia (金ジア) until 1976. It uses this knock-off of the Tokyo district's name because of the major similarities between the two. Akihaburo is a major shopping and entertainment center of the city. However, since 2003, other wards in Toyokin and districts in Dainia have started to compete towards that title. Most of the well-known stores and hotels are located along Monogatari Avenue, which is the main thoroughfare and shopping area in the ward.

The ward has an estimated resident population of 427,895 people. The population lives within a 89.2 square kilometer (34.4 sq mi) area, resulting in a population density of around 4,800 people per square kilometer. Despite that, the daytime and nighttime population averages to a total of 1,730,000 daily.

Geography
Akihaburo is located in the southeastern area of Toyokin. It is currently surrounded by Maruno, Tekunoka, Kankoku, Chūgoku, and Iehiroba.

Akihaburo is locally divided into two major subdistricts: Higashimuro and Seibui. Higashimuro is the main center in the ward for high-rise commercial offices and luxury apartments. It is the least known subdistrict of the two, however is best known for the location of Akihaburo Station. Akihaburo Station is one of the busiest in Toyokin. In Seibui, many famous flagship stores and vendors are located along Monogatari Avenue. In addition to that, many high-class and modern hotels sprawl through the area. Seibui contributes to the ward's acknowledgement to be the shopping capital of the country.

The Toyokin River runs through a small portion of the southwestern part of the ward. Before cars were utilized in the country, the most popular choice of transportation throughout the area was by small boats and canoes or by walking. During the urbanization of the area in the 1990s, the river was made narrower in order to fulfill increasing commercial demand in the ward at the time. However, the government has since banned any disturbance to the river in order to reduce its carbon footprint.

History

 * 1856: An increasing demand for residential property for the wealthy required an empty set of land (mainly Higashimuro) to be developed into. President Mizushima allowed the wealthy to start setting up property and businesses in the area. The area that is now Seibui, at the time, was ignored and remained as forest area. During this period, the area was known as Tomiriku (富陸).
 * 1862: A major bank robbery in northern Tomiriku sparked the fluctuating demand for wealthy property in Tomiriku. The northern area of Tomiriku soon became a popular spot for thugs and gamblers to live.
 * 1896: Tomiriku is officially renamed to Kinjia.
 * 1938: Many jewelry and affluent shops start setting up along the new Monogatari Avenue, moving from their more centralized location in Higashimuro. Seibui was instantly recognized as an official subdistrict along with Higashimuro.
 * 1941: Japan starts building a shrine where many visitors and residents were forced to pay respects to the Emperor and Buddha. The shrine was demolished soon after World War II ended.
 * 1987: Kinjia is soon renamed to Akihaburo, as a knock-off of the name Akihabara, which is located in Tokyo.
 * 2013: A terrorist attack hit Monogatari Avenue‎, with an official death toll of 18 across 3 bombings. It is currently under investigation.

Economy
The high amount of tourists and shoppers in the ward and the huge demand for commercial offices and hotels contribute to the very stable economy of the ward. Hikyusoku Telecommunications has its headquarters in the Higashimuro subdistrict of Akihaburo. The building can be easily recognized near Akihaburo Station as a mid-rise glass building with multi-color glass windows running through the center of the building.

Along Monogatari Avenue, many flagship stores under Louis Vuitton, Apple, Nashi Electronics, Takufaka Luxury, Wako, Céline, Chanel, Gucci, Sony, and L'Oréal. Hotels in the area include Kōraku World Hotels, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, WorldMark by Wyndham, and W Hotels. There are many modern art and historical museums in both subdistricts of Akihaburo.