Long story short, I ended up reading an interesting and thought provoking conversation between Okada Toshio (Gunbuster, Otaku no Video) and Morikawa Kaichiro (professor of modern Japanese studies at Meiji University) on what otaku means in Japan and it's transformation at the beginning of the 21st century. The conversation is from a book by Murakami Takashi titled 'Little Boy: The Arts of Japans Exploding Subculture'
I am always wrestling with the identity of otaku in Japan, outside of Japan and with myself. For the most part I do not identify myself as an otaku. Outside of my passion for anime I have many other hobbies and interests, some I am even more passionate about. My life, much to some peoples confusion and disbelieve, is not consumed by my anime fandom. I try to distance myself from many aspects of otaku culture; aspects I consider attempts to live outside of reality. I'm not generally an escapist. I don't pursue things to escape from the real world. Many of my passions involve learning about and trying to build a greater understanding of the real world and how it operates and behaves. I play video games, watch anime and movies and read books to be entertained; not to escape.
One of the things I have tried to attain since beginning my blogging on anime and related things in 2006 was to attempt to connect with otaku in Japan. Unfortunately this has been difficult to do. The one thing that I strive to discuss at length with the Japanese otaku is their impressions and understandings of how and in what forms their subculture has been co-opted by others around the world.
Below is a segment from the conversation that discuses the current state of otaku as they see it, relating specifically with the moe revolution at the turn of the century. While not much related to the Japanese view of foreign otaku it is an interesting look into some opinion on Japanese otaku and the direction of current trends.
Otaku vs. Mania
In another segment of the book Japan's otaku culture is broken down into 3 generations, much like American otaku culture can be. The original generation came about in the post reconstruction Japan, with an eye towards a bright and shinning future, heralded by Tezuka Osamu. The second generation came about in the 70's and 80's with a more somber reality setting in about the future with such titles as Gundam and Yamato. The third generation came about at the end of the 90's until the present in which the otaku are disillusioned with any aspect of the future and instead have chosen to retreat into a world of fantasy and hyper fetishism.
This is a rather dismal ideal that the current generation of otaku who flood the streets of Akihabara are people who have no hope for themselves or the future of their society and turn instead to filling the sense of uselessness they feel with controllable alternate realities. The idea being that Japan's youth have all but giveup on any sort of successful future for themselves and the nation and instead are admitting defeat and choosing fantasy over ambition. In another portion of the book Murakami discusses an analogy to this used in the Crayon Shinchan movie, 'Storm-Brewing MÅretsu! Adult Empire Strikes Back'.
It's hard to tell though, what any one person is thinking. So much of the otaku boom is a bandwagon type of mentality. Since the beginning of the 21st century otaku has become a cool and popular thing, where once it was shunned and hidden. It's hard to determine how many patrons of the maid cafe's are truly otaku in the traditional and classical sense and not flighty fadists. Pop culture has a tendency to turn into an uncontrollable beast and the moe revolution in Japan appears to be out of control with very few hardcore members to its following. Yet, the industry still makes money and will continue to support the fickle fanbase the best they can
I'm not sure about the author and participants dismal view of the future of Japanese otaku being correct or a hallmark for the fate of their country. It is an interesting view into the ideas driving the current trends and beckons more consideration and contemplation. This coincides with a book I am currently reading, which also originally pointed me towards these articles, about the growing problem with hikikomori in Japan. The book is by an American journalist, who has been working in Japan since the mid 90's, Michael Zielenziger and is titled 'Shutting out the Sun'. When I finish the book I will do a bit of a reflection on it here, so stay tuned and at some point I will pick up Murakami's book as well.
I am always wrestling with the identity of otaku in Japan, outside of Japan and with myself. For the most part I do not identify myself as an otaku. Outside of my passion for anime I have many other hobbies and interests, some I am even more passionate about. My life, much to some peoples confusion and disbelieve, is not consumed by my anime fandom. I try to distance myself from many aspects of otaku culture; aspects I consider attempts to live outside of reality. I'm not generally an escapist. I don't pursue things to escape from the real world. Many of my passions involve learning about and trying to build a greater understanding of the real world and how it operates and behaves. I play video games, watch anime and movies and read books to be entertained; not to escape.
One of the things I have tried to attain since beginning my blogging on anime and related things in 2006 was to attempt to connect with otaku in Japan. Unfortunately this has been difficult to do. The one thing that I strive to discuss at length with the Japanese otaku is their impressions and understandings of how and in what forms their subculture has been co-opted by others around the world.
Below is a segment from the conversation that discuses the current state of otaku as they see it, relating specifically with the moe revolution at the turn of the century. While not much related to the Japanese view of foreign otaku it is an interesting look into some opinion on Japanese otaku and the direction of current trends.
Otaku vs. Mania
Takashi Murakami: This may be a frequent question, but what is the difference between otaku and mania?Kaichiro Morikawa: In otaku studies,
we often argued about this distinction. Generally speaking, three
differences have been articulated. First of all, mania are “obsessives”
who are socially well adjusted. They hold down jobs and love their
hobbies. In contrast, otaku are socially inept. Their obsessions are
self-indulgent. This point is raised mainly by the self-proclaimed
mania, critical of otaku. The second point concerns what they love.
Mania tend to be obsessed with, for example, cameras and railroads,
which have some sort of materiality (jittai), while otaku tend to focus
on virtual things such as manga and anime. In other words, the objects
of their obsessions are different. The third point relates to the
second one. A mania tends to concentrate on a single subject - say,
railroads - whereas an otaku has a broader range of interests, which may
encompass “figures,”manga, and anime. Taken together, I would say -
although Okada-san may disagree with me
- that someone who is obsessive about anime likes anime despite the
fact that it’s no good, dame. That’s mania. But otaku love anime because
it’s no good.Toshio Okada: Mania is an analogue of
otaku. Obsessives are adults who enjoy their hobbies, while otaku don’t
want to grow up, although financially, they are adults. These days,
you’re not welcome in Akihabara if you aren’t into moe. I was already a
science-fiction mania when otaku culture kicked in. I can understand
it, but I can neither become an otaku myself nor understand moe T. Murakami: And I’m nowhere near Okada-san’s level. I failed to become an otaku. Period. T. Okada: I believe otaku culture has already
lost its power. What you find in Akihabara today is only sexual desire.
They all go to Akihabara, which is overflowing with things that offer
convenient gratification of sexual desire, made possible by the power of technology and the media.K. Morikawa: But I think the sexual desire in Akihabara is different from that in Kabuki-cho.T. Okada: Kabuki-cho is about physical sex. Because the heart of otaku culture shuns the physical, it has renamed seiyoku [sexual desire] as moe. Sexual fantasies are becoming more and more virtual and “virtual sexuality” proliferates in Akihabara.In another segment of the book Japan's otaku culture is broken down into 3 generations, much like American otaku culture can be. The original generation came about in the post reconstruction Japan, with an eye towards a bright and shinning future, heralded by Tezuka Osamu. The second generation came about in the 70's and 80's with a more somber reality setting in about the future with such titles as Gundam and Yamato. The third generation came about at the end of the 90's until the present in which the otaku are disillusioned with any aspect of the future and instead have chosen to retreat into a world of fantasy and hyper fetishism.
This is a rather dismal ideal that the current generation of otaku who flood the streets of Akihabara are people who have no hope for themselves or the future of their society and turn instead to filling the sense of uselessness they feel with controllable alternate realities. The idea being that Japan's youth have all but giveup on any sort of successful future for themselves and the nation and instead are admitting defeat and choosing fantasy over ambition. In another portion of the book Murakami discusses an analogy to this used in the Crayon Shinchan movie, 'Storm-Brewing MÅretsu! Adult Empire Strikes Back'.
It's hard to tell though, what any one person is thinking. So much of the otaku boom is a bandwagon type of mentality. Since the beginning of the 21st century otaku has become a cool and popular thing, where once it was shunned and hidden. It's hard to determine how many patrons of the maid cafe's are truly otaku in the traditional and classical sense and not flighty fadists. Pop culture has a tendency to turn into an uncontrollable beast and the moe revolution in Japan appears to be out of control with very few hardcore members to its following. Yet, the industry still makes money and will continue to support the fickle fanbase the best they can
I'm not sure about the author and participants dismal view of the future of Japanese otaku being correct or a hallmark for the fate of their country. It is an interesting view into the ideas driving the current trends and beckons more consideration and contemplation. This coincides with a book I am currently reading, which also originally pointed me towards these articles, about the growing problem with hikikomori in Japan. The book is by an American journalist, who has been working in Japan since the mid 90's, Michael Zielenziger and is titled 'Shutting out the Sun'. When I finish the book I will do a bit of a reflection on it here, so stay tuned and at some point I will pick up Murakami's book as well.
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