Forum - View topicNEWS: Yano Research: 1 out of 4 Japanese Say They Are Otaku
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Etrien
 Posts: 525 Location: Tokyo, Japan |
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I really attribute this more to how the colloquial definition of the term "otaku" has slowly adapted to just mean "someone who likes anime and manga", rather than the much older definition of "hardcore obsessed maniac."
Of course, it's a very subjective term either way. At the very least, I see and hear the word thrown around all the time, typically in a non-derogatory fashion, and most people I've met with an interest in anime seem to self-identify as otaku. |
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Banjo
Posts: 798 |
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I wish the boys-love thing leaves Japan
anyways this just means 1 out of 4 Japanese say they have something they like so much and they don't mind spending money on it |
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Mizuki-Takashima
 Posts: 215 |
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is BL a bad thing..?
But yeah, pretty much what Etrien said. Though it's also possible that more and more Japanese people are rejecting the 3D world for 2D, but I think what you said seems more likely...at least I hope so ^^' If that's the case it's still neat to see the term change definition in Japan as well 
I personally identify as an anime/manga enthusiast, since the term Otaku changes definition depending on who you talk to. (Some people will think you're a moron for even identifying yourself as an Otaku because it's derogatory, while some will call weeaboo if you self-identify as an Otaku since you must think it's a non-derogatory term. It's all so confusing when you're already someone who fits the Otaku stereotype...) |
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Mr. sickVisionz
 Posts: 2175 |
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I think it's 1 out 4 because in Japan you can be otaku about anything (as seen by some of the categories listed like dolls, idols, and pro wrestling) and the term is more about your level of fandom and less about what you're a fan of. In the US otaku specifically refers to anime/manga.
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walw6pK4Alo
 Posts: 9322 |
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Most Hanshin Tigers fans border on obsession. Think of all the different otaku from Densha Otoko to give an example of what someone can become a maniac for. |
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yuna49
 Posts: 3804 |
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The title of this article is very misleading. It's not a survey of all Japanese adults. It's a study of what the report calls the "geek market" in Japan. It's focused on gamers, manga and anime consumers, Here's a quotation based on Google Translate:
"体 Subjects: Anime / (including e-comic) Related Services / Maid Cosplay Costume / Idol / Wrestling / Costume Train / Model / Figure / Doll / doujinshi / Light / (massage bar maid cafe, cosplay restaurant, Concepts such as cafes) / Online Games / Adult Games / AV (adult video DVD, including downloadable content" Finding that a quarter of the people interested in these subjects call themselves "otaku" is hardly surprising. The survey methodology is also entirely unclear. I'm guessing that it wasn't a random sample but a poll based on self-selection. This method generally over-represents the most intense members of the audience. I find these types of errors appear persistently on ANN. It seems like the staff simply re-publish press releases without any background research. It took me all of five minutes to determine that the article's title is wildly incorrect. How about a little "due diligence" on the part of the ANN staff? |
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Egan Loo
Posts: 1354 |
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According to Yano Research Institute, the part of the survey on whether people consider themselves "otaku" was conducted among 10,102 "general consumers" nationwide, ages 15 to 69. The sample was divided by gender and age range in proportion to Japan's population statistics, and was not self-selected. This part of the survey was separate from the rest of the research on the otaku marketplace, and it was not limited to people interested in those otaku areas. Please do not rely on Google Translate or other machine translation tools to make these judgments, especially not after only five minutes. |
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Keichitsu0305
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And I wish shows that have no plot yet plenty of fanservice (i.e. panty shots) would disappear. But it looks like we both gonna be unhappy for a while. 
Doesn't otaku mean "an obsessive fan of anything" not just anime or manga? Like in Kuragehime the main female cast are otakus of something random.
So, these 'casual' fans don't fit the "otaku" stereotype? |
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Asterisk-CGY
 Posts: 398 |
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Can I say the same about Raiders fans? If we go by the otaku as fandom, we do have a massive football otaku population. |
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Etrien
Posts: 525 Location: Tokyo, Japan |
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I'd say it already seems to export rather nicely. 
The phrase has been downgraded to something closer to the level of "fan", although a fan of something still considered particularly nerdy. In fact, I'd say the word "nerd" is a good parallel, seeing how it was also a distinctly derogatory term that eventually lost its bite and became a general, often embraced, classification. Still, almost any time I encounter the word otaku, it's specifically referring to anime fans. While I do think that's in large part because they outnumber other groups which could be deemed so, I also think it's a slow trend towards the word being associated exclusively with anime, even in Japan. Edit: Your avatar is fantastic, by the way. |
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yuna49
Posts: 3804 |
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Well, what are we to make of this description of the research methodology on the page describing the report? "Research methodologies: direct interviews and our specialized researchers, by FAX telephone interviews, Internet surveys" "Internet surveys" almost always rely on self-selection. Nor is there any mention of how the sampling frame was defined. Perhaps the press release you cite provides these details. Also I have no idea what a "FAX telephone interview" might be, or whether they're actually two different methodologies. I also can't begin to imagine how all these different methods were combined and adjusted for differences in sampling frames, response rates, and the like. It would have been nice if you had included the material you cited on the survey design in your original article here. Most of the "surveys" routinely reported in press releases bear little relationship to professional surveys. Having done a number of the latter, often with rather unusual sampling frames that required complex recruitment methods, I know how hard survey research can be. I also know how important it is to get the "right" results when you're trying to market a survey report to potential clients. Generally speaking, when I see a result as implausible as this one, my first reaction is to distrust the sampling methods involved. I may have been wrong in this case, but I'm still unconvinced. |
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Iridescent_Fall
Posts: 20 |
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I agree! Send more my way Japan! 
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Apollo-kun
 Posts: 1213 Location: City 7, Macross 7 |
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Keichitsu0305
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I think 'nerd' is a better term for any casual fan but whatever floats a fan's boat! And thank you~ Kurisu is so cute as a Powerpuff!! 
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ArsenicSteel
 Posts: 2370 |
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I think Japanese fans would be more incline to use Japanese word to describe their level of fandom, which leads us right back to the new article that 1 out of 4 Japanese say they are otaku of something. |
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