What are Otaku?

What are otaku?

A segment of manga in Japan has formed an image-based association with otaku and has been positioned within “otaku culture.” The word otaku, similar to the word “nerd” in English, refers to a type of person who is unpopular with the opposite sex in school and who is typified by the image of being completely absorbed in a specific subculture, such as anime or video games. As a result, the domain of subcultures associated with such people has come to be seen as “otaku culture.”

Labeling otaku

The word otaku was first used as a label in an essay by Akio Nakamori, a young writer at the time, in the June 1983 issue of Manga Burikko published by Byakuya-Shobo (formerly Self-Shuppan). On the other hand, there is evidence that the word was in use before then. At manga and anime fan events that had begun to expand in scale from around the late 1970s, some participants were observed using the honorific second-person pronoun otaku (literally meaning “you”) to refer to each other in a characteristic manner (Similar in some degree to using “thee” instead of “you” in a conversation). Various theories generally agree that this form of address was then applied to the people who used it.

Otaku and anime parody dōjinshi

At conventions for the display and sale of manga dōjinshi (self-published, often derivative works), such as the Comic Market that began in 1975, female anime fans established a form of erotic parody in which male characters who appeared in anime targeted at boys were made to look like same-sex couples. To counter this, male anime fans developed a form of parody in which erotic manga was depicted in the style of shōjo (girls’) manga or anime-like graphics. Each of these parodies subsequently developed into styles characteristic of female-oriented and male-oriented otaku culture.

The formation and expansion of otaku culture

As manga artists from dōjin self-publishing backgrounds found commercial success, so too did the styles they formed through anime parody dōjinshi and the like find their way into commercial manga magazines. These styles also influenced the look of products such as original video animations (OVA) created for enthusiasts, computer games featuring anime-like graphics, and figurine model kits of bishōjo (beautiful girl) characters. These new fads and trends have come to represent an “otaku culture” that spans a variety of media, product forms, events, and communities.

Otaku and the “Miyazaki Incident”

In 1989, a man named Tsutomu Miyazaki (then 26 years old) was arrested as the primary suspect in a series of cases involving the serial abduction and murder of infant girls that had been in the public eye since the previous year. Along with his seemingly unaggressive appearance, which differed from the image of culprits in previous serial killer cases, the mass media picked up and circulated facts such as that nearly 6,000 video tapes were found in his room, that he subscribed to anime magazines, and that he participated in manga dōjinshi conventions. As a consequence, not only was the word otaku widely used to describe his character, a negative image of people with tastes in manga and anime became associated with the term.

Male-oriented otaku culture and Akihabara

From around the late 1990s, stores specializing in manga, anime, and character figurines became rapidly concentrated in the Tokyo district of Akihabara, which had until then been known as the “Electric Town,” a district where many electronic goods were sold. This transformed Akihabara into a center of otaku culture that was mainly geared toward men and formed an association between the otaku persona and a specific place. As manga specialty bookstores engaged in consignment sales of manga dōjinshi built new store buildings over what were formerly old electronics stores, the landscape of the district came to be decorated with wall advertisements featuring images of anime-style girls.

Female-oriented otaku culture and Otome Road

Several anime and manga specialty stores have been located near the Sunshine 60 skyscraper in the Tokyo district of Ikebukuro since before Akihabara became a center of otaku culture. Because demand for male-oriented products became concentrated in Akihabara from the late 1990s, these specialty stores in Ikebukuro increased their selection of female-oriented products. In 2004, the area was dubbed Otome Road (“Girl’s Road”) by a manga information magazine. As a result, separate centers were formed in different districts in Tokyo for men and women, reflecting the male-oriented and female-oriented segmentation characteristic of otaku culture.

Azumanga Daioh and the moe yonkoma genre

A form of derivative work that developed in both male- and female-oriented manga dōjinshi are parodies depicting the relaxed, everyday life of characters who, in the original works from which they derive, are involved in dramatic narratives. Kiyohiko Azuma, an artist who started out in dōjin self-publishing and created parody manga to promote sales of Original Video Animations, applied the techniques developed in parody manga to create his own original work, called Azumanga Daioh (MediaWorks, 1999). The popularity of this work led to the establishment of the moe yonkoma genre (four-panel manga featuring moe characters, usually endearing female characters that elicit feelings of strong affection).

Otaku culture and “Cool Japan”

The term otaku became generally widespread along with an extremely negative image due to what is known as the “Miyazaki Incident” (the Tokyo/Saitama serial abduction and murder of infant girls) in 1989. However, since then, the mass media has covered the transformation of Akihabara with a greater sense of amuse and has reported on the international popularity of Japanese anime, which is seen as a part of “otaku culture.” Over time, the image of otaku and its culture has, relatively speaking, taken a turn for the better. In 2015, the Comic Market held a special event called the “OTAKU SUMMIT” where congratulatory speeches were given by members of parliament from both government and opposition parties.

The “otaku market” and Japan’s declining birthrate

Industries related to manga, anime, and games have been shifting from developing products and services aimed at young people, whose numbers are shrinking with the declining birthrate, to targeting middle-aged and older customers who continue to be fans of manga, anime, and games, and whose disposable incomes are also increasing. The development of this “otaku market” is behind the expansion of otaku culture, and, going further, the positive change in its image.