WHAT is otaku ?
Morikawa Kaichirō identifies the subculture as distinctly Japanese, a product of the school system and society. Japanese schools have a class structure which functions as clubs are an exception to the social hierarchy. In these clubs, a student’s interests will be recognized and nurtured, catering to the interests of otaku. Secondly, the vertical structure of Japanese society identifies the value of individuals by their success. Until the late 1980s, unathletic and unattractive males focused on academics, hoping to secure a good job and marry to raise their social standing. Those unable to succeed socially focused instead on their interests, often into adulthood, with their lifestyle centering on those interests, furthering the creation of the otaku subculture.
Even prior to the coinage of the term, the stereotypical traits of the subculture were identified in a 1981 issue of Fan Rōdo (Fan road) about “culture clubs.These individuals were drawn to anime, a counter-culture, with the release of hard science fiction works such works allowed a congregation and development of obsessive interests that turned anime into a medium for unpopular students, catering to obsessed fans. After these fans discovered the term was used as a self-confirming and self-mocking collective identity.
The 1989 “Otaku Murderer” case gave a negative connotation to the fandom from which it has not fully recovered. The usage of “(interest) otaku“, however, is used for teasing or self-deprecation, but the unqualified term remains negative. The identification of otaku turned negative in late 2004 when kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and murdered a seven-year-old first-grade student. Japanese journalist suspected that Kobayashi’s crime was committed by a member of the even before his arrest.Although Kobayashi was not an otaku, the degree of social hostility against otaku increased. Otaku were seen by law enforcement as possible suspects for sex crimes, and local governments called for stricter laws controlling the depiction of eroticism in otaku materials.
Not all attention has been negative. In his book, Otaku, observed: “Between 2001 and 2007, the otaku forms and markets quite rapidly won social recognition in Japan”, citing the fact that “[i]n 2003, won the for hisaround the same time achieved recognition for otaku-like designs; in 2004, the Japanese pavilion in the of the featured otaku. In 2005, the word moe – one of the keywords of the present volume – was chosen as one of the top ten “buzzwords of the year.The former PM has also claimed to be an otaku, using this subculture to promote Japan in foreign affairs In 2013, a Japanese study of 137,734 people found that 42.2% self-identify as a type of otaku. This study suggests that the stigma of the word has vanished, and the term has been embraced by many.
The district in Tokyo, where there are featuring waitresses who dress up and act like maids or anime characters, is a notable attraction center for otaku. Akihabara also has dozens of stores specializing in anime, manga, retro video games, figurines, card games and other collectibles. Another popular location is in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. This started a project on ways to help promote hidden tourist attractions related to the otaku culture to attract more otaku to the city.
Types of Japanese otaku
Taking photos of trains at an annual depot open-day event in Tokyo in August 2011.
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The Nomura Research Institute (NRI) has made two major studies into otaku, the first in 2004 and a revised study with a more specific definition in 2005.The 2005 study defines twelve major fields of otaku interests. Of these groups, manga (Japanese comics) was the largest, with 350,000 individuals and ¥83 billion market scale. otaku were the next largest group, with 280,000 individuals and ¥61 billion. Travel otaku with 250,000 individuals and ¥81 billion. PC otaku with 190,000 individuals and ¥36 billion. Video game otaku with 160,000 individuals and ¥21 billion. Automobile otaku with 140,000 individuals and ¥54 billion. Animation (anime) otaku with 110,000 individuals and ¥20 billion. The remaining five categories include Mobile IT equipment otaku, with 70,000 individuals and ¥8 billion; Audio-visual equipment otaku, with 60,000 individuals and ¥12 billion; camera otaku, with 50,000 individuals and ¥18 billion; fashion otaku, with 40,000 individuals and ¥13 billion; and railway otaku, with 20,000 individuals and ¥4 billion. These values were partially released with a much higher estimation in 2004, but this definition focused on the consumerism and not the “unique psychological characteristics” of otaku used in the 2005 study.
NRI’s 2005 study also put forth five archetypes of otaku. The first is the family-oriented otaku, who has broad interests and is more mature than other otaku; their object of interest is secretive and they are “closet otaku“. The second is the serious “leaving my own mark on the world” otaku, with interests in mechanical or business personality fields. The third type is the “media-sensitive multiple interest” otaku, whose diverse interests are shared with others. The fourth type is the “outgoing and assertive otaku“, who gain recognition by promoting their hobby. The last is the “fan magazine-obsessed otaku“, which is predominately female with a small group of males being type”; the secret hobby is focused on the production or interest in fan works.The Hamagin Research Institute found that moe-related content was worth ¥88.8 billion ($807 million) in 2005, and one analyst estimated the market could be as much as ¥2 trillion ($18 billion).Japan-based Tokyo Otaku Mode, a place for news relating to otaku, has been liked on Facebook almost 10 million times.
Other classifications of otaku interests include vocaloid, cosplay, figures and professional wrestling as categorized by the Yano Research Institute. Yano Research reports and tracks market growth and trends in sectors heavily influenced by otaku consumerism. In 2012, it noted around 30% of growth in and online gaming otaku, while idols and grew by 10%, confirming its 2011 predictions.
MessageThe district in Tokyo, where there are hotels featuring waitresses who dress up and act like maids or anime characters, is a notable attraction center for otaku. Akihabara also has dozens of stores specializing in anime, manga, retro video games, figurines, card games and other collectibles.
Another popular location is in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. In , students from started a project on ways to help promote hidden tourist attractions related to the otaku culture to attract more otaku to the city.
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