Just like how nerds and geeks were always looked down upon, it is the with Otakus in Japan. You would think that most people in Japan love anime and manga. You know what, many people in Japan do read manga but they are not as obsessed with anime as Otakus are.
In Japan many people read manga the same way they would casually watch TV. Japanese people also watch anime but they see it as a casual thing. The same way some people watch Netflix and pick whatever seems interesting, its the same in Japan. Although anime is popular in Japan, its home land, not everyone likes anime. Some people see it as immature (just like in America) and something that is for kids. However, even those same people that criticize don’t mind watching it once in a while.
There is also a lot of anime tourism in Japan. Foreigners or Gaijin (Japanese word) go to Japan and spend so much money on manga and anime merch that it stimulates the economy in Japan. So their anime industry is heavily impacted by tourism as well as fans in Japan.
in Japan, people that like to read manga and watch anime don’t always consider themselves Otakus because of the stigma that the word has. The image of an Otaku is similar to the image that Americans have for nerds.
Think about a nerd right now. What do you think they look like? In your mind you probably see a teenage boy with glasses, lots of acne, very unfashion and is not very good at socializing with people. You probably think of them as someone who struggles to get a girlfriend or make friends. A person that is really smart but lacks social skills. Someone who is more into technology than they are at learning about people.
The nerd that got stood up for prom.
You get the point.
This is how Japanese people see Otakus. Same perception, different word.
As described. Acne, glasses, depressed look. You get the point.
The only difference is that in the west, most people don’t read comic books. Unless they are a real geek or nerd, most people don’t go to a comic book store. Although video games are popular with many groups of people in the west, reading comic books and watching cartoons is consider something that is for kids. While in Japan, adults will watch anime and read manga, they are not necessary consider Otakus.
In Japan, Otakus collect lots of figurines and do many anime related things such as going to a maid café. So in Japan, an Otaku can sometimes be hard to identify. In America and other western countries, geeks and nerds are not always transparent about their hobbies even though it is more acceptable (now more than ever).
Have you ever gone to an anime convention in America or any western country. Aren’t you repelled when you stand next to an anime fan with a bad odor. What is about anime fans in America that don take showers. Are they so socially unaware that they forget to take a shower. They forget that people have a sense of smell and soap is something that is non existent in their mind.
Otakus in Japan have a similar stigma. When you ask a Japanese person what they think an Otaku is, the will first think of all the unpleasant things such as “they smell and don’t show, they have lots of acne, don’t know how to dress, tend to be anti social, don’t have a lot of friends and oh yeah….they like anime and manga.”
Another problem with Otakus in Japan is that sometimes they are associated with anti social criminals. Yes, there have been criminal Otakus in Japan who have commit gun violence. It is not very common but here are some examples.
Tsutomu Miyazaki was an Otaku who had rapped and murdered four little girls in Japan.
Another crime by Toshio Ito who was a 50 year old Otaku. This man killed his own father because he was being criticize about his Otaku lifestyle.
There was also Shinji Aoba who some say was an Otaku and was the one who cause the fire in the Kyoto Animation Studio.
There have been a good number of crimes caused by Otakus in Japan and that is why some Japanese people believe that anime causes crime. Its just like how in American people think that most school shootings are caused by Caucasian males in the suburbs because if you look at the statistics, it is true that many of the school shootings were caused by white boys. No disrespect intended.
Anime has been booming in the past two decades in both Japan and in the west (especially in the west- read the article on how Demon Slayer outsold the entire American comic book industry). In 2010 the anime industry was worth $10 billion but now as of 2021, It is worth over $20 billion.
Many anime fans in Japan don’t necessary look like anime fans. It is probably the person at work who looks very normal. It is the person you sit next to in the train. Maybe even your school teacher. Many Otakus don’t wear their passion on their sleeves. Unless you walk around with an anime shirt people will not assume that you are an Otaku.
In Japan you are not treated different if you are an Otaku. It is really about the way you look and the vibe you give off. Some Japanese say that Otakus have a sad look about them and I hate to admit it but that is true. If you know how to dress well or dress normally but love anime and manga then no one would ever assume you are an Otaku.
I am Latino and I can tell you that many Latinos consume anime casually. We watch it, we buy the manga and some of us collect the toys but you will never be able to tell that we are Otakus or geeks (whatever word you want to choose). You don’t always have to wear you hobby on your sleeve.
Is the same way that many people that listen to heavy metal don’t dress all in black.
Also, Japanese people don’t treat Otakus any different than regular people. Some might laugh at you or might not want to be around you but for the most part, people just ignore Otakus since they give an anti social vibe.
