Otaku
Otaku is a Japanese slang word, deriving from the honorific "お宅[1]" (otaku), meaning "your house", that has come to mean someone who obsessively exerts time, money, and energy into a hobby. Otaku have a deep, complex knowledge around a particular subject or area of study, and is oftentimes (esp. in the West) used to refer to avid consumers of anime and manga. The term can also be compared with Hikikomori.
In Japan, otaku is generally regarded as an offensive word, due to the negative cultural perception of withdrawal from society. However, the otaku philosophy of living has gained traction among Japanese youth and adolescents, likely as a reaction to the established culture of intense work and academic studies. Under 30’s have developed a neo-otaku identity with more positive associations of being a geek or nerd.[2][3] In the West, the word usually describes an anime or manga "fanatic" and is not typically perceived as derogatory.
Otaku Media
Railfans taking photos of trains at an annual depot open-day event in Tokyo in August 2011
References
- ↑ "おたく - Wiktionary". en.wiktionary.org. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
- ↑ Why Japanese Youth Want to Be 'Otaku' and What It Means | Guest Colum…. 2017-03-27. http://adage.com/article/guest-columnists/japanese-youth-otaku-means/144414/. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
- ↑ McCurry, Justin (2015-02-22) (in en-GB). Clocking off: Japan calls time on long-hours work culture. . https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/22/japan-long-hours-work-culture-overwork-paid-holiday-law. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
