Ask John: What Does Otaku Mean?

Question:
Is it true that the word “otaku,” used all around the world to refer to an anime fan, actually means “nerd” in Japan?

Answer:
The word “otaku” literally means “you” or “your home.” It’s a word that one would normally expect to hear from housewives politely asking each other about the state of their household. Japanese anime and sci-fi fans adopted the term as a polite way to refer to each other. From there, the term became associated with fantasy collectors and fanatics, many of whom were obsessive to the point of being anti-social. So the term “otaku” came to refer to irresponsible, lazy, worthless fanatics, or “maniacs” as they’re called in Japan, who obsess over their hobbies instead of pursuing more socially responsible and acceptable goals like education and employment. However, within the past few years the mainstream Japanese distrust of “otaku” has begun to soften slightly as otaku themselves have made greater efforts to take pride in their hobbies, and Japan’s government and business sector have recognized the commercial and cultural influence of otaku. However, even now, as the stigmata of being an “otaku” has softened in Japan, and there are Japanese “anime otaku,” “car otaku,” “gun otaku,” “idol otaku,” and so on, it’s still not a good idea for especially American tourists in Japan to refer to themselves as “otaku.”

In America, the word “otaku” has never really had the stigma associated with it that it has in Japan. While Japanese otaku have traditionally been geeks, shut-ins, or the socially maladjusted, American anime fans take pride in calling themselves “otaku.” And among American anime fans, many strive to earn or live up to the fanaticism necessary to deserve the title of otaku. In fact, very few of even the most devoted American anime fans can compare to the obsessive fanaticism of true Japanese otaku who diligently study minutiae about their favorite personalities like blood-type, birth-date, shoe-size, life story, and idiosyncrasies. For examples of Japanese otaku, look to the fictional obsessive-compulsive otaku in Otaku no Video, the cast of Genshiken, and “Mi-maniac” of Perfect Blue.

Article revised December 10, 2006