Another Akihabara landmark closes down for good
The Adores Akihabara Building 2 announced on its official Twitter account last June 14 that it will now be closing its doors to crane machine enthusiasts on June 30 this year.
The arcade is the famous tall red building that is next to the Akihabara Station in Tokyo, which hosts crane games on its first two floors and karaoke rooms for the last seven.
【ご案内】
平素はご愛顧を賜りまことに有難う御座います。
当店は諸般の事情により、2021年6月30日(水)をもちまして閉店致します。
長い間のご愛顧に心より御礼申し上げます。 pic.twitter.com/G5hNiAfnuT— アドアーズ秋葉原2号店 (@ad_akiba2) June 14, 2021
The announcement did not mention specific reasons about the closure as it only said “due to various circumstances.” But based on the pattern of previous closures in the area, the COVID-19 pandemic is to blame as numerous governments imposed lockdowns and limited tourists from going in and out of countries.
Adores’ Building 1 also closed in November last year due to the same reasons.
Akihabara is considered to be the centre of modern Japanese popular culture and a major shopping district for video games, anime, manga, electronics and computer-related goods.
Icons from popular anime and manga are displayed prominently in the shops in the area, and numerous maid cafés and arcades are also found throughout the district.
Even as Japan has relaxed its quarantine restrictions compared to early last year, businesses in major districts such as Akihabara are still closing down which means that the country is still facing the economic repercussions of quarantine restrictions.
(Images from the Yokoso Adores Official Website)