A night at Tokyo Indies
As the so-called 'otaku capital' of Japan, Akihabara in Tokyo has somewhat lost some of the allure it once commanded. Areas like Ikebukuro and Nakano Broadway have risen in its place, although that's not to say the area has entirely lost the shine it once held as a nerd and tinkerer's paradise. Wandering through the backstreets of the electric town and finding the nestled communities suggests the tourist trap's roots remain alive and kicking.
Take MOGRA, long known both inside and outside of Japan as a geeky music club in the heart of Akiba, with cheap drinks and anime and video game music blasting through its compact underground space.
The space stands strong, just as it has since 2009, an unassuming door off the main street that hides its neon-lit EDM-boosted anime-inspired interior from all but those in the know. Once a month, this underground club lifts up its lights and serves as the home of Tokyo Indies, a space for indie developers living in the city to meet, share and discuss their development projects with their peers.
Held regularly on the third Wednesday of every month, this monthly meetup returned to Tokyo one warm April evening as indie developers shared their experiences from showcasing at events like Tokyo Game Dungeon and BitSummit. Hosts and developers alike, including organizer and founder Alvin Phu, were friendly to new and old faces alike, greeting people as they entered. 'You made it,' noted familiar faces entering the room, who were quick to introduce us to other developers who made the trip to catch up with friends and talk about the trials and tribulations of doujin and indie games development.
The event was founded by Phu in 2014 a few years after moving to Japan from the US, as a way of
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