Is the anime otaku center of the world, Akihabara, changing to a red light district?

The Corona Virus has taken a toll on countries around the world, including in Japan. One of the places in Japan that has been hit hard is Akihabara, the anime otaku center of the world. Major landmark locations in Akihabara have been closed as a result, including the Sega arcade in Sega Building 2 and Tsukumo Akihabara Ekimae. Much small businesses have closed as well that have been known to locals for decades, like Kitchen Jiro that closed on September 30th 2020. Known for it's hearty and good priced food, the former restaurant will now be known as Akihabara's first "Adult Entertainment Guidance Center."

The former Kitchen Jiro changed from this

to this

Known in Japan as "muryo annijo," these are places people go to for free information about local hostess bars, ero massage parlors, and other fuzoku (adult entertainment businesses). You would normally find these sort of businesses in red light districts. Akihabara is not known for the fuzoku business but rather the otaku business so this upcoming establishment was a complete surprise to those who found out about it (likely otaku themselves).

What's surprising is this sort of establishment is opened normally after fuzoku are established in a area so that people can go inside for "guidance" for which location they wish to visit. Does this Akihabara guidance center know something most people don't? Are they trying to get in and establish themselves before others open up in the area? Will the large and small businesses in Akihabara that are closed or will be closing due to a lack of customers change to fuzoku?

Guidance centers are legal in Japan as they are only in the business of giving out "free information" to fuzoku and not in the business of actual fuzoku so not even law enforcement can shut them down as long as they are not doing anything illegal.

There are a couple interesting points to bring up about Akihabara's first establishment guidance center that could mean a change is coming to this town.

Tokyo is a walking city, Akihabara being in Tokyo, so fuzoku will need to be in walking distance to send customers to or they could lose interest due to the distance they have to travel to (like if it was in the next town over or need to take the train to get to). Fuzoku will likely need to be within a ten minute walk radius so that not only will it appeal to customers but also so workers from the guidance center could walk with their customers to "guide" them to the right establishment then return back quickly to handle more customers.

There are not just maid cafes anymore in Tokyo but cafes that cater to a variety of interests, like samurai, nurses, ninjas, cosplay, and more. Just like cafes, there will be people with varying fetishes, like big tits, S&M, ero massage, school girl, and chubby just to name a few. So you'll need lots of fuzoku businesses nearby to cater to these fetishes. With the closure of small and big businesses, this will make real estate available for these fuzoku to come in and take over. After all, those building owners want paying tenants and fuzoku make money which means rent money coming in for building owners if such businesses open. 

If you're familiar with Akihabara you might actually recognize where the guidance center is opening. It's not some random small back street or alley but rather near one of the main streets of Akihabara and near some recognizable businesses.That means they are near heavy foot traffic areas and don't mind being right there out in the open (considering their big pink sign that basically says "come in" despite not advertising what they're exactly in the business of welcoming you to).

I feel bad for the "Nadeshico Sushi" restaurant run by women in the next building over. "Yamato Nadeshiko" is a Japanese term for the "personification of the ideal Japanese women who is pure and feminine" so with the restaurant right next to the guidance center some people might think it's not a restaurant but a fuzoku! Not only that, it might deter some patrons from going toward that building because it's right next to the guidance center. Plus, it's already tough for women in the sushi business as there is a old stigma that women make horrible sushi chefs just because they're women.

While the image of what a otaku looks like has changed, there is still the chance one thing hasn't changed, a otaku still being a virgin. 

Sure, there are manga and anime where the otaku guy gets the girl but real life isn't like that. Many otaku are more into 2D than 3D women but getting the touch of a woman is something a otaku could yearn for, especially after watching JAV. While vaginal intercourse is illegal in Japan, at fuzoku businesses everything else goes (despite not being advertised as so publicly out in the open and more what you can find online from their website, other websites, or word of mouth). Akihabara is filled with otaku, young and old, with disposable income normally spent on otaku hobbies. With that many curious and inexperienced potential customers this location could get very busy giving out recommendations. There could be many experienced customers as well who want more and willing to spend their money on 3D than 2D.

They need to get busy as the rent for this location isn't cheap, 1,750,000 yen a month (about $17,500) according to the image below that the real estate agency handling it was advertising. So despite the lack of fuzoku businesses currently in the area they decided to establish themselves and could close very fast if they can't come up with the rent money. The money they earn is not directly from the people they guide, as it is a "free guidance center" but from the fuzoku businesses they recommend people to go to which they earn a commission from.

Time will tell if Akihabara will become Tokyo's next "Fuzoku Town" rather than it's current nickname of "Electric Town." With more stores closing in Akihabara due to a lack of customers and the Corona Virus, there will be tenants that need to fill them and fuzoku might just become those tenants. If so, Akihabara's first "Free Guidance Center" is establishing themselves possibly in the right place and the right time to guide all those potential customers to those future fuzoku.