Debating Otaku in Contemporary Japan

Historical Perspectives and New Horizons

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November 15, 2022 | History

Debating Otaku in Contemporary Japan

Historical Perspectives and New Horizons

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With the spread of manga (Japanese comics) and anime (Japanese cartoons) around the world, many have adopted the Japanese term 'otaku' to identify fans of such media. The connection to manga and anime may seem straightforward, but, when taken for granted, often serves to obscure the debates within and around media fandom in Japan since the term 'otaku' appeared in the niche publication Manga Burikko in 1983.

Debating Otaku in Contemporary Japan disrupts the naturalization and trivialization of 'otaku' by examining the historical contingency of the term as a way to identify and contain problematic youth, consumers and fan cultures in Japan. Its chapters, many translated from Japanese and available in English for the first time – and with a foreword by Otsuka Eiji, former editor of Manga Burikko – explore key moments in the evolving discourse of 'otaku' in Japan. Rather than presenting a smooth, triumphant narrative of the transition of a subculture to the mainstream, the edited volume repositions 'otaku' in specific historical, social and economic contexts, providing new insights into the significance of the 'otaku' phenomenon in Japan and the world.

By going back to original Japanese documents, translating key contributions by Japanese scholars and offering sustained analysis of these documents and scholars, Debating Otaku in Contemporary Japan provides alternative histories of and approaches to 'otaku'. For all students and scholars of contemporary Japan and the history of Japanese fan and consumer cultures, this volume will be a foundation for understanding how 'otaku', at different places and times and to different people, is meaningful.

Publish Date
Language
English
Pages
240

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Edition Availability
Cover of: Debating Otaku in Contemporary Japan
Debating Otaku in Contemporary Japan: Historical Perspectives and New Horizons
2016, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
in English
Cover of: Debating Otaku in Contemporary Japan
Debating Otaku in Contemporary Japan: Historical Perspectives and New Horizons
2015, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
in English
Cover of: Debating Otaku in Contemporary Japan
Debating Otaku in Contemporary Japan: Historical Perspectives and New Horizons
2015, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
in English
Cover of: Debating Otaku in Contemporary Japan
Debating Otaku in Contemporary Japan: Historical Perspectives and New Horizons
2015, Bloomsbury Academic
Hardback in English

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Book Details


Published in

London, UK

Table of Contents

Prelims.
Foreword - Otaku Culture as 'Conversion Literature'. Otsuka Eiji Page xiii
Introduction - 'Otaku Research' Past, Present and Future. Patrick W. Galbraith, Thiam Huat Kam, Björn-Ole Kamm Page 1
Section 1. The 1980s
1. 'Otaku' Research and Anxiety About Failed Men. Patrick W. Galbraith Page 21
2. The Birth of 'Otaku:' Centring on Discourse Dynamics in Manga Burikko. Yamanaka Tomomi Page 35
3. Opening the Black Box of the 1989 Otaku Discourse. Björn-Ole Kamm Page 51
Section 2. The 1990s
4. Traversing Otaku Fantasy: Representation of the Otaku Subject, Gaze, and Fantasy in Otaku no Video. Shen Lien Fan Page 73
5. Introduction to Otaku Studies. Okada Toshio Page 89
Section 3. The 2000s
6. The Construction of Discourses on Otaku: The History of Subcultures from 1983 to 2005. Aida Miho Page 105
7. Train Man and the Gender Politics of Japanese 'Otaku' Culture: The Rise of New Media, Nerd Heroes and Consumer Communities. Alisa Freedman Page 129
8. The Transformation and the Diffusion of 'Otaku' Stereotypes and the Establishment of 'Akihabara' as a Place Brand. Kikuchi Satoru Page 147
9. The Transition of Otaku and Otaku. Okada Toshio Page 163
10. 'Otaku' as Label: Concerns over Productive Capacities in Contemporary Capitalist Japan. Thiam Huat Kam Page 179

Classifications

Library of Congress
P94.65.J3 D43 2015, P94.65.J3D43 2015

Contributors

Editor
Patrick W. Galbraith
Editor
Thiam Huat Kam
Editor
Björn-Ole Kamm
Author
Ōtsuka Eiji
Author
Okada Toshio
Author
Yamanaka Tomomi
Author
Lien Fan Shen
Author
Aida Miho
Author
Alisa Freedman
Author
Kikuchi Satoru
Translator
Keiko Nishimura

The Physical Object

Format
Hardback
Pagination
xxxi, 199p
Number of pages
240
Dimensions
23,4 x 15,6 x 1,5 centimeters

ID Numbers

Open Library
OL25672212M
ISBN 13
9781472594976
LCCN
2014045818
Wikidata
Q107563579

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History

Download catalog record: RDF / JSON / OPDS | Wikipedia citation
November 15, 2022 Edited by ImportBot import existing book
September 18, 2021 Edited by ImportBot import existing book
July 29, 2021 Edited by WikidataBot [sync_edition_olids] add wikidata identifier
November 13, 2020 Edited by MARC Bot import existing book
April 28, 2015 Created by Björn-Ole Kamm Added new book.