What is Japan’s Otaku Culture?

Although true to an extent, this is not a thorough representation of the actual Otaku culture in Japan. Therefore, in this article, GoEMON will give you a basic introduction to what the Japanese Otaku culture is like. Let’s jump right in, shall we? 

1. What is Otaku culture?

Otaku culture, a subgenre of Japanese culture, specifically refers to people with consuming interests, such as anime, manga, computers, or idols. The four previously mentioned topics are most common for otaku but the term definitely is not restricted to those topics alone but can be widely used to refer to people with great passion for anything at all. For example, there are train otaku who love looking at trains and taking pictures of them, or robot otaku who enjoy collecting and building figurines of robots. The list goes on and on.

2. History of the word Otaku

The word Otaku was coined in Japan half a century ago during the 1980s. Back in the day, this term was perceived in a rather negative light, those who were “Otaku” were seen as “lame” and “geeky” people who were overly obsessed and immersed in their hobbies, hence spending most of their time indoors and minimizing interactions with other people. This negative connotation was all the more deepened after the gruesome incident of the “Otaku M.urderer” Tsuyomu Miyazaki, who m.urdered 4 girls between 1988 and 1989. 

These days, however, the term has been seen in a more positive light due to the mass popularity and proliferation of manga, anime, and game culture both within Japan and worldwide. The term now is generally used to refer to those who are a little bit more interested in some things than other people. 

And as Japanese culture is becoming all the more popular around the world, the number of Otaku outside of Japan has also been increasing as well. 

3. The common types of Otaku

As mentioned before, there are all sorts of different types of Otaku in Japan. Here, GoEMON will introduce you to 4 of the most common types of Otaku here in Japan! 

• Anime Otaku 

When the word Otaku comes up, it is without a doubt most people would think of anime. And this perfectly makes sense, as Anime Otaku is one of the most popular subgenres of Otaku not only in Japan but also internationally. Japanese people really love their anime, to the point that everyone would have a favorite anime series that was a part of their childhood. 

As can be inferred from the name itself, Anime Otaku are anime enthusiasts who would be up-to-date with all news related to their favorite series and even collect merchandise based on said series. 

• Manga Otaku 

Anime and Manga come hand in hand, and along with Anime Otaku, Manga Otaku is also among one of the most famous subgenres. In Japan, manga chapters are usually released in magazines (which can be weekly, bi-monthly, monthly, quarterly, and so on) before being composed into manga volumes. Thus, Manga Otaku would purchase those magazines first to stay up-to-date with the latest updates of the storyline, and then purchase the composed volumes afterward. 

• Game Otaku 

Japan is famous worldwide as home to a large number of legendary games. Pokemon, Dragon Quest, Dark Souls, and Final Fantasy, to name a few. Along with manga and anime, games, especially video games, are a huge part of the childhood of many Japanese people as well as Japanese culture. Thus, it is easy to see why there are so many Game Otaku here. 

• Idol Otaku 

And of course, one cannot leave out Idol Otaku when talking about the types of Otaku in Japan. It is a well-known fact that Japan has one of the biggest, most unique, and dynamic in the entire world. Along with such a massive music industry is an also-equally massive fanbase, in which the most prominent one is the fanbase for Japanese idols. We then have Idol Otaku - those who have an extreme interest in their idols. These people would attend concerts, buy CDs, albums, and merchandise, and even participate in lotteries to get a chance to enter a meet-and-greet event with their idols. With the growing popularity of the K-pop industry, the number of K-pop idol Otaku in Japan has been increasing in Japan recently as well. 

What do you think about the Otaku culture in Japan? Are you also an Otaku? Feel free to comment down below and connect with those who share the same interests as you! 

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