Akihabara's GiGO "Building 1" To Close Down On August 31st

Standing in Japan for 30+ years, the famous Akihabara GiGO Building 1 will be shut down Sunday, August 31st. This is due to an expiration of the fixed term building lease. While Electric Town will continue to operate out of Buildings 2,3, and 5, the loss of the iconic red structure that has been a staple of otaku culture will certainly leave an impact, as it has regularly been referenced and revered in many anime and video games.

"This store, which opened in October 1992 as 'Hi-Tech Land Sega Shintoku', is the longest-standing existing store in a single building at our company, and has been watching over the changes in Akihabara for over 30 years," a press release states from Genda GiGO Entertainment. "Its red exterior is loved by fans both in Japan and overseas as an icon of the city, and it has become a familiar presence to any game fan who has visited Akihabara."

Matahari Entertainment will repurpose the building into its own entertainment complex. Matahari is the owner of the Silk Hat arcade chain. Matahari has also dealt with a history of arcade venue closures, as Silk Hat Ikebukuro was shut down in 2021. Entertainment venues took a critical blow during the height of the pandemic, and the repercussions are still felt. Akihabara's Building 1 was once a prominent presence for Sega. In 2022, however, Sega sold its arcade business to GiGO. It is worth noting that the Sega Store Tokyo will open later this month.

SOURCE: Genda GiGO Entertainment