Tokyo Akihabara — also known as Akiba — holds a reputation among die-hard pop culture fans as being the physical representation of Japanese pop culture. The district has become a favorite spot for tourists and locals alike, because it mainly consists of establishments dedicated to anime, manga, electronics, and, of course, video games.
One of Akiba's most prominent video game establishments is the Sega Akihabara Kigo Building — otherwise known as Sega Akihabara Building 2. It's an arcade center that's provided a welcoming spot for gamers from all over the world since 2003, allowing them to meet and spend time with like-minded individuals. Sadly, after 17 years of creating memories, Sega Akihabara will be closing its doors permanently next month on August 30.
Fans discovered a sign detailing the Japanese arcade's closing on August 1, and have since circulated the news through social media. The sign contains a heartwarming message from the Akihabara Building 2 staff that thanks fans for the patronage and support that they've given the establishment over the years.
“Notice of closure
Thank you for your continued patronage. We are sorry to announce that this branch, Sega Akihabara Building 2, will be closing.
Our last day of operations will be Sunday, August 30.
The entire staff wishes to express, from the bottom of our hearts, our sincere gratitude at the loving support you have given our establishment for so many years.”
A reason for the closure wasn't provided, but the most likely culprit is the coronavirus. The coronavirus pandemic has put a lot of brick and mortar retailers in tight positions by forcing them to close for months. Sega Akihabara Kigo isn't any different. It closed mid-April due to the pandemic and didn't open up again until mid-June.
But just because it opened doesn't mean many people visited. The coronavirus hasn't disappeared and shows no signs of doing so anytime soon. The idea of spending time in an enclosed environment filled with people, like an arcade, certainly doesn't sound appealing to a vast majority of people.
It doesn't help that arcades have been dying for a while now. They're not all gone, of course, but most of them have had to evolve into something else in order to stay around. The Sega Akihabara Kigo managed to have a grand opening as late in arcade life as it did, and stick around for as long as it has, mainly because of its Sega ownership, established reputation, and affiliation with Akiba.
Regardless of all of that, it will be sad to see the arcade go. It brought so much joy to so many people. On the bright side, however, change happens in Akiba all the time and said change brings with it all sorts of new and exciting attractions. So while the Sega Akihabara Building 2 arcade will be leaving, another place of fun will likely take its spot.
Source: Sora News 24