I just received an 8-book shipment from Amazon. I hadn't read any of your books before, but got turned on to them by Alastair Reynolds' writing.

So far I've read (and enjoyed!) Singularity Sky, and have just started The Atrocity Archives.

Thanks for writing!

Ouch, I'm about to pop back to the US from Saitama... why the hell are you staying in Akiba? There are plenty of nicer places to wait out volcanic doom...

We're in Akihabara because: (1) Good public transport access (JR commuter rail to Tokyo station or a 20 minute walk), (2) convenient walking distance of lots of downtown stuff (for values of "think nothing of walking a couple of miles"), (3) a really cheap hotel deal, and (4) Nerd Paradise.

Isn't Akihabara like the tech-mecca of Japan?

It is, but, well, I guess I'm just a weird nerd... you can buy the same (new) electronics at pretty much any Yodobashi Camera store, and if you're not heavily into action figures, anime, or porn, than there isn't much else in Akihabara, in terms of food or nightlife.

It's a fun shopping day, but if I was going to spend a week or two in Tokyo... well, I'd go to Osaka. But failing that, Shinagawa and Ikebukuro have better dining, Shinjuku has everything, and there's a ton of restaurants near the Tokyo station.

Although, if you want good food, and you don't feel like paying for the 'atmosphere' of a high-class restaurant, stay somewhere near a major university (Waseda, Tokyo, or Chuo). The restaurants all cater to students, which means they're cheap-ish, but not so cheap, that the quality suffers.

Interesting; thanks for the insight.