Clustered electronics stores, maid cafes and the home of idol group AKB48 — Tokyo's Akihabara district is famous for many things.
And the list of unique spots may get even longer, as the district now has a large-scale facility for hardware startups to create innovative products.
The shared space, called DMM.make AKIBA, opened in November. Tokyo-based DMM.com, which runs online malls and video streaming services, launched the facility to offer pretty much everything that people need to start manufacturing hardware. The facility not only boasts ¥500 million worth of state-of-the-art equipment, but also offers technical support, consulting services, office space and a chance to garner funding.