Otaku

Otaku is a Japanese term used to describe a person with consuming interests in specialized areas of popular culture, especially anime, manga, and video games. In Japan, otaku originally referred to someone who was highly knowledgeable or obsessed to the point of social withdrawal, and it carried a pejorative connotation in mainstream usage. The word derives from the polite second-person pronoun otaku meaning "your house," and it entered popular usage in the late 1980s after media coverage of fandoms, though its precise origins are debated.

Since the 1990s, the term acquired a negative stereotype tied to over-enthusiastic fans and social withdrawal, though it has been reclaimed by some within fan communities. Outside Japan, otaku is commonly used to describe fans of anime and manga, and is sometimes applied to fans of other media; in many contexts it is used neutrally as a descriptive label. Global otaku culture includes conventions, fan art, doujinshi, cosplay, and collectibles such as figures and model kits, with active online communities.

In Japan, urban centers such as Akihabara became associated with otaku culture, serving as hubs for media, goods, and events. The community is diverse in gender and age, with growing participation among women and international fans. Critics argue that excessive consumption can reinforce social withdrawal, while supporters point to creative output and community-building. In contemporary usage, otaku is a broad umbrella term for dedicated fans of Japanese pop culture, though nuances vary by country and individual.