Danny Choo, a Tokyo-based computer programmer and entrepreneur, calls himself a full-time "otaku."

Visitors to Choo's office in central Tokyo are apt to be surprised by the curvy female "anime" (cartoon) figures that line his desk.

"The tall ones I got from the manufacturer cost from ¥60,000 to ¥140,000," says Choo, 37, a collector who manages Web sites for fans using a platform he designed.