Tag - otaku

 
 

OTAKU

Pages from a new Otaku Dictionary catalog the lexicons of Japan’s various subcultures.
PODCAST / deep dive
Nov 30, 2023
A problematic otaku dictionary and the Japanese approach to sitting
An “Otaku Dictionary” has Japan’s subcultures upset at an attempt to define them.
Yoshiko Koide sits in a classroom at Nagoya College where she teaches a Japanese-language observation seminar.
LIFE / Language / Longform
Nov 27, 2023
How a dictionary came to spark outrage among the web’s otaku
A project to create a reference book categorizing subcultures didn't seem to cause offense until it was packaged and sold as a dictionary.
Yoshiko Koide, a professor at Nagoya College, and 12 female students delved deep into otaku culture to create “Otaku Dictionary Daigenkai,” a dictionary of terms from all walks of fandom.
LIFE / Language
Nov 20, 2023
Test your otaku vocabulary, from 'oshi' to 'bacon lettuce'
“Otaku Dictionary Daigenkai” has gathered the language of fandom, from idols to games and anime.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Sep 11, 2022
‘The Fish Tale’: Non exudes natural charm as an oddball fish devotee
Non brings a bubbly energy and rock-solid commitment to Shuichi Okita's film based on the autobiography of TV personality Sakana-kun.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / THE LIVING PAST
Aug 21, 2022
The 'mother' of the modern otaku charted her own bug-obsessed path
One of Japan's original eccentrics, the 'lady who loved insects' ignored the trends of her day and was content to be herself — a valuable lesson to the generations that followed.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Nov 6, 2021
‘Fanatic’ documentary deals with what happens when your favorite K-pop star breaks bad
A new documentary film titled “Fanatic” explores the world of K-pop fandom. Can it also teach us something about the fans of J-pop stars?
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 6, 2020
'Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku': A musical take on an otaku romance
This film adaptation of a web comic by single-named artist Fujita has the central couple dancing and singing their way to love.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / NATURAL SELECTIONS
Jul 26, 2019
The happiness of the otaku: Daydreaming to well-being
Using the imagination to daydream may be more useful than we thought. But who would have guessed that a key to unlocking its benefits would be pursuing manga, anime and games — otherwise known as 'otaku' culture.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / Defining the Heisei Era
Nov 24, 2018
Defining the Heisei Era: Examining the rise of otaku culture
With the number of children shrinking, popular entertainment naturally began targeting the otaku population that didn't hesitate to open their wallets for material many considered juvenile.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
May 25, 2018
Bitcoin for otaku: Tokyo startup to launch cryptocurrency to serve communities
Cryptocurrencies may be making worldwide headlines as high volatility assets that have seen dazzling stretches of growth and stunning falls, but the CEO of Tokyo Otaku Mode Inc. believes they have a different kind of potential.
Japan Times
CULTURE / CULTURE SMASH
Oct 22, 2017
Anime tourism invites overseas fans to join festivities
Yuwaku Onsen is a 1,300-year-old hot-springs resort tucked between mountains along the Asano River south of Kanazawa. Ten mid-size traditional inns line its slim main street, leading to a small hillside shrine and a man-made pond.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Oct 13, 2017
Dempagumi.inc's Risa Aizawa on the true power of fashion
Fashion designers can be stiff creatures, especially when it comes to divulging their history or feelings in an interview. However, Risa Aizawa is not your run-of-the-mill fashion designer. She is a member of the five-person Akihabara-born idol group Dempagumi.inc, known more for it's hard-core dedication to otaku fandom than for its runway shows. Even so, she debuted her brand Memuse on the runway during the recent Amazon Fashion Week Tokyo, and the show was one of the most buzzed about of the week.
Japan Times
CULTURE / CULTURE SMASH
Sep 24, 2017
IOEA: The grass-roots gospel of otaku culture
The International Otaku Expo Association (IOEA) could be the title of one of those self-referential, po-mo anime shows that is as much about fandom as it is made for fans (think "Genshiken," an entire series about a college otaku fan club). But it's the real thing, headquartered in Tokyo's Yushima neighborhood and founded by three self-proclaimed otaku a little over two years ago — and now it's getting props from Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), which is helping the IOEA spread the otaku gospel worldwide.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Feb 8, 2017
'Otaku' gather to celebrate the obsessive at Nerd Nite Tokyo
At Nerd Nite Tokyo, self-confessed nerds from all walks of life gather once a month to loosen their anoraks, sup a beverage or two and feed on the niche knowledge of three quietly obsessive speakers.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 25, 2016
Despite challenges, young Cubans being drawn into world of anime, manga
Cuba may be one of the world's least connected countries but that is not stopping the Japanese subculture of animated movies, manga comics and video games from spreading feverishly among its youth.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 4, 2015
Japanese pop culture expert dies in railway fall
Takamasa Sakurai, a leading evangelist of Japanese anime, fashion and music abroad, was fatally hit by a train early Friday after falling from a platform at Nishi-Nippori Station in Tokyo, police said.
COMMUNITY / Voices / OVERHEARD
Aug 29, 2015
Expert opinion
Why did you come to Japan?
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Sep 13, 2014
A world of fear for Japan's shut-ins
Several years ago, a vogue of interest in shut-ins, or hikikomori, saw researchers from France touring Japan and meeting reclusive youths. Such was the prevalence of the disorder, said psychologist Nicolas Tajan, that "if you ask people in Japan about hikikomori, almost everyone will say, 'I know somebody like that.' But there is no such word in France."
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Aug 22, 2014
Comiket grows stronger each year
Held twice a year and famous among otaku (fanboys and fangirls) the world over, Comiket, short for Comic Market, held its 86th event Aug. 15-17 at Tokyo Big Sight in Odaiba. With more than 550,000 people reportedly attending the event over the three days, Comiket has grown significantly since its early days when a few hobbyist creators and collectors got together to swap hand drawn fan fiction. It's now an event that includes all types of goods, drawing visitors from as far away as Europe and the U.S.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 14, 2014
'Gacha gacha' machines not just for kids anymore
Among the wide array of vending machines peddling items from the everyday to the obscure, one staple in Japan is the toy-dispensing "gacha gacha," which is named after the handle-turning noise that precedes the release of the plastic capsule.

Longform

High-end tourism is becoming more about the kinds of experiences that Japan's lesser-known places can provide.
Can Japan lure the jet-set class off the beaten path?