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.
Love in another dimension: Japanese man 'marries' Hatsune Miku hologram
Akihiko Kondo's mother refused an invitation to her only son's wedding in Tokyo this month, but perhaps that isn't such a surprise: He was marrying a hologram. "For Mother, it wasn't something to celebrate," said the soft-spoken 35-year-old, whose "bride" is a virtual reality singer ...
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. Naomitsu Kodaka says cryptocurrencies can serve as cross-border digital ...
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. Earlier this month, I shuffled behind a procession of ...
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 ...
'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.
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. More than 1,000 otaku (geeks), or fans of such fantasy worlds, descended on ...
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. Police said the incident occurred on the JR Keihin Tohoku Line at around 12:30 a.m. ...
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 ...
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, ...
'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. While the majority of gacha gacha ...
