A recently published study on the “otaku” market finds that as many as 25% of Japanese may now consider themselves otaku, an increase of 5% on the previous year.
According to a multi-channel survey of 10,102 people undertaken by the Yano Research Institute, Japan’s oldest market research firm, 25.5% of those asked whether they consider themselves otaku or have been labelled otaku by others responded in the affirmative.
Compared to the 2010 edition of the same survey, this represents a 5.1% increase in the otaku population.
The survey also noted much growth in certain “otaku” markets – online gaming saw a 40% increase to 299 billion yen, and the market for dating games grew 30.2% to 11 billion yen, although these increases are attributed to the rise in social gaming and dating simulations marketed to women on mobile phones – hardly qualifying as “light otaku,” let alone “otaku.”
The market for digital comics also saw dramatic growth, although this is widely interpreted as the result of long-delayed technological change rather than actual growth – traditional manga sales continue to decline.
The market for idols, long considered the preserve only of the very creepiest otaku, is also growing, although this has been attributed to more efficient exploitation of existing otaku rather than an increase in the number of consumers.
Yano’s conclusion is that the “otaku” market is growing, but that it is also being heavily supplemented by the participation of non-traditional otaku – although with a limited population available in Japan, they stress the need to market more to non-Japanese markets.
There is some scepticism about their results when it comes to otaku population size, although Yano is a credible market research company and other studies have found similar increases in populations identifying themselves as “otaku” in recent years.
As the survey seems comparatively sound, those who are sceptical of such vast growth in the “otaku” population tend to identify the fact that such surveys invariably base their results chiefly on respondents self-identifying as “otaku.”
The term “otaku” has no real objective definition and has increasingly found itself used by non-traditional otaku to mean “anime and manga fan” rather than the more classic “obsessive maniac” – this has led to a lowering of resistance to the label and large numbers of normals identifying themselves with a now trendy label, runs this line of thought, commonly espoused on 2ch.
As a result of this, terms like “kimo-ota” (“kimochi warui” or “kimoi” otaku – “creepy otaku”) now take on the negative nuance once so strongly attached to “otaku,” whilst (amongst some at least) identifying as an otaku becomes a point of pride.
There is also some disdain on traditional haunts towards “self-proclaimed otaku,” who are regarded merely as fad-following normals rather than true obsessive maniacs.
Whatever the case, critics cannot help but note that such dramatic increases in the otaku population do not seem to have been accompanied by similarly sized increases in anime and manga sales, or even any increase at all…
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resistance is futile , otakuness is a virus and its spreading so fast
Being an otaku is a way of life. Do I regret it?
Not one bit.
Ok then let's screw Aya Hirano and Aki Toyosaki! Fellow Comrade.
It's ok, I got 2D, thanks for the offer though.
Draw them, then I'll screw them. They're less bitchy that way and also 2D!
Double win!
Otaku=/=Anime Otaku
Isn't anime Otaku the "main" Otaku in Japan?
That is questionable
there are a lot of train otakus in Japan
i can't tell you the exact percentage of anime otakus within the otaku population
I guess, if you add anime + video games, you would get more than 50% of otakus
Doubt it.
But how the hell is a figure of 10,102 people supposed to be a good number to even imply anything about Japanese as a whole?
@anon 03:18
It's a sample size, that's how you do surveys.
I have no regrets. This is the only path.
my whole life was
Unlimited Blade Works!
Unlimited Maid Works!
i dont regret it at all
Unlimited NEET Works!
Unlimited LOLI-FAPPING Works!
Unlimited escape of FBI works!
Once you've chosen to follow the Way...Glance back once...then never look back.
.... like a boss
I sort of do, only because I am heading for neet path to unemployment which does not bode well for my future devotion to Otaku.
It I was a bit less otakuish then perhaps I could find a good job to sustain my devotion. Vicious cycle.
I know how you feel. Actually I'm already there. The past three years I haven't went to college, got a job, or done much of anything.
Being an otaku is still okay.. but not "hard-core" otaku..
25%.. that's kinda lots of people..
There is nothing wrong with being HC otaku as long as you are not some stupid stalker etc.
Your comment is bad, and you should feel bad!
I dont because im not arrogant fag(trash) like idiots that downvoted me.
"Arrogant fag(trash)" = [becasue] They downvoted you.
How's that working for you?
They're calling themselves Otaku, even when they're only playing games from time to time...
Not all of these "25%" are really Otaku...and such surveys are forged most of the time. I mean, "25%" sounds too good to be true, right?
Shouldn't trust such a survey.
there is something called otaku type a and b , did you know?
And also many different versions of otaku like train otaku, tea otaku, drama otaku, etc...
BEST COMMENT HERE
Otaku=A person with an obsession and/or liking+broad knowledge of a particular hobby/thing.
e.g PLAMO OTAKU, BONSAI OTAKU, COMPUTERS OTAKU, ANIME OTAKU etc.
...toilet otaku?
Incidentaly also toilet chikan.
Just like the weaboos in America that think Otaku means anime fan.
in America, that's what it means.
Guess what? Sometimes words can mean different things in different countries.
Just like the weeaboos in America who think that anime means --Japanese-- animation.
SEE WHAT I DID THERE?
Look like an idiot? You know, how bout you just say that black and white are the same color because they mean different things in different places. Then get run over at a zebra crossing or something...
By your example, "black and white are the same color because the word black means black and white in two different languages", and that doesn't follow at all, and if you think it's a similar example I think you should work on your reading comprehension.
Anime refers to any animation in Japan, and in the English speaking world it refers to animation from Japan. Look it up in any dictionary. Yeah, it's in modern dictionaries-- not just online, but print too.
If just ask all knowing Google US, (I'm not checking other ones) "anime definition" it returns:
a·nime/ˈanəˌmā/
Noun:
Japanese movie and television animation, often having a science fiction theme and sometimes including violent or explicitly sexual material.
tl;dr you're dumb
In America, 'otaku' WAS adopted to represent an anime fan. In Japan, it means an obsessed fan of anything from brand names to baseball. A 'weaboo' is a Japanese wannabe, someone who pretends to BE Japanese. A 'Japanophile' is a fan of Japanese culture.
if 25% of japan are otaku then those who can vote should vote against ishihara in the next election.
arise my brethren we otaku shall take over this 3D World!
Hell yeah!!!
We are already converting a lot of normals.
We are already taking over the 3D World as we speak.(on the internet at least)
The time of the normals will be soon over.
A new era is waiting for as (>.<).
If everyone is an otaku... no one is
Otaku is the new Black
Anohreul, that is actually true. But it is somewhat desirable.
Like the TV-game trend among young people.
We want it to be culture, like books or games.
... as in... sexy?
I suppose it might be inevitable, but it's sure hard to imagine the day.
Well, ain't they hypocrites. 25%? I bet there is some more, but so what? No one is gonna do ANYTHING to save japan culture hallmark. Most japanese probably don't even know that Ishihara ain't just depriving his country of manga and anime, its the whole world we are talking about! I love reading manga, and I love watching most types of anime, One Piece, Bakuman, Clannad, Mushishi and so on.. Do you all want to watch american or european animation because of no other choice? Sorry, I don't.
what have you done to save /Japanese culture/?
Its not always those who are into Anime,Manga,and Video games its also those who are into History,Guns, and Cars maybe French films.
Hey western cartoons were a big part off my childhood, wanker!
since when was anime japan culture hallmark?
It should be now.
well, someone says word "anime" and you instantly think japan it is not? Im not saying that western cartoons are shit i love em too but if i had to choose I would pick anime.
And all of you smartasses like Michael, think before you write, only japanese can save anime and manga industry by for example don't vote for this fuckhead Ishihara, or riot, or... hell I dont know. I know it's easy for me to talk because I'm not japanese, this is just all what I think about recent events.
This reminds me of the whole Nerd thing in the states picking up steam, most people looked down on nerds/being called a nerd. but now you see people (someone who would seemingly look rather popular etc) wearing shirts that either say Nerd on them or have rather nerdy references.
I do approve of all this. :D
The "problem" is that when labels like Otaku or nerd start to get cool, people who only have the slightest bit in common with actual nerds may be labeled, or even label themselves, as such.
25% Otaku is pure bullshit, a real nerd is someone obsessive with one or more specific things, not someone who plays a dating sim now and then.
Also can someone with money get to work on making Gundams real.
We already got some people in the US making private space flight and space stations a reality.
megarich otaku are hard to find... everyone start spamming the children of every multibillionaire with anime n manga in hopes they become otaku >| then... lets make a gundam
let's make a gundam and say: if you guys don't ban Ishihara we'll take over the world!
also: where's Otacon when you need him!? :(
Typical pathetic poorfag otaku faggot, the world doesn't care about you, so go watch some anime and die alone.
I don't think making a Gundam is that easy.
Coming up with how to enable the pilot to input full body movement alone is giving me headaches.
Flying a helicopter is already crazily complex, but a Gundam would be a whole different world of complexity.
Uncle Sam poured a crapload of money into development of the F22. Compared to a Gundam a F22 would be a toy. I don't think anyone has the money atm.
Long live the Otaku Republik of Japan
All Hail Ottania!!
I agree. Even if not all of those are actual hardcore otaku, but more like people who kind of like anime and manga and choose to put themselves into that category because of that... those are still people who would vote against ishihara and his hilariously pathetic bullshit.
Let's hope more and more people will choose to identify themselves a such.
The fact that they don't makes them incredibly pathetic in my eyes.
We need to take 75% of votes!
Then Ishihara might just crawl to a graveyard and die.
We then assemble nuclear weapons in Japan, and bomb all bastards who dare say anything to that!
Because nuking the source would stop all our problem Nero.
You are madder than the roman emperor with the same name. And that guy was batshit crazy.
Nukes have stopped a war problem before.
You know you'll probably kill yourself in the blast radius or destroy the people who make your ero with nukes right?
Nukes should empower houses and public buildings like schools, hospitals, police staitions, firedepartments and such. Not distroying them.
Rise of the Otaku.
(d)evolution
I don't know if it's true, but I've heard that in Japan, you don't typically get any time off work to vote, so most of the voters are retired.
Also, otaku aren't always of anime or manga. Basically you can be otaku about anything you can be a geek of. So you bet there are insect otaku and train otaku too.
Toilet otaku?
Toilet geek?
But I'm sure there are - there have been various designs through history, and Japan has some fancy seats...
It's true. My wife's coworkers were in their 30s and 40s, mostly, and they were surprised that she was voting in the American election because voting was for old people (she was 24 at the time).
>Implying that all otakus read loli-incest manga.
But it's good for your soul.
Nice idea. Alas, they've got have alternatives that aren't also rubbish, and then jointly agree on one, as a split vote won't accomplish much.
Unfortunately, of that 25%, 10% never leave their rooms, 10% are too young to vote, and the remainder are too busy stalking seiyuu to care.
If I remember correctly, the alternatives to Icky-hara were were actually worse than the porn writer.
Too bad voter apathy and otakuism seem to go hand-in-hand.
I'm an otaku
But otakus are deviant beings, they like the pain so Ishihara is allowed to remain in office. He only exist to stroke otaku's perverse jollies.
Good luck with that. I will not go down that easily!
We will see about that Ishihara. This is only the beginning of what we have in store for you.