Otaku
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Otaku is a kind of trend word in Japan that became famous among the foreigners during the last few years. In general it means "nerd", "guru", "geek" or "fan boy". Mostly a person with broad knowledge of something specific, and someone who rather stay inside rather than going out, and hangs out mostly in manga kissa. A connoisseur of something specific, (for example an old Apple Computers, or idols). Sadly the internet pages about otaku have been skewing the reality a bit to something sexual or negative kind of image. Reality is much more vast.
Otaku became famous word in Japan when essayist Akio Nakamori wrote series "An Investigation of Otaku". Perhaps the typical otaku is a person who has a broad knowledge of anime or manga culture, or perhaps a video game world or computer technology. During the time when Gundam became hit there became many hobbyists who fell in love with it and started to gather the series and Gundam figures.
Perhaps the famous place for otaku is Akihabara, a place where you can get cheap electronics. People who want to build their own PC's or other type of technology maybe enjoy there. There are also "maid kissa" in Akihabara in which the waitresses are wearing old European maid uniforms. This is something that is often connected to otaku culture, although basically it doesn't have much to do with it.
A common misunderstanding is that otaku would be something strongly negative. The idol scene and the obsessionate otakus who love especially the female idols have maybe influenced the image of this entire sub culture. And sometimes the news reported some crime committed by otaku, and people again labeled it. Japan is so tight knit society and it has a natural tendency to put certain type of people in certain type of category. But it is obvious that otaku is such a vast universe of all kinds of connoisseurs.
Perhaps the most famous fiction about otaku would be "Densha Otoko" which is allegedly true story about a man who saves an office lady from the drunken man in train, and collaborates with her to build a mega BBS channel. Densha Otoko really changed the image of otaku scene towards something much more positive.
