Forum - View topicNEWS: NPR: The Revenge of Japan's Nerds
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murph76
 Posts: 3291 Location: Akron, OH |
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One nitpick about the news item: The story was broadcast November 24, not December.
That aside, the story draws an interesting contrast between different aspects of otaku culture. They have spending power ($4 billion in 2004? that's impressive), but some are still shy enough to buy time with the opposite sex in maid cafes. Sounds to me that while otaku are gaining acceptance, they will never be truly accepted. And thinking about it, why should they want to be? Half the fun is in doing something different. -Murph |
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LydiaDianne
 Posts: 5634 Location: Southern California |
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Nerds of the World untie
 and together we can do as little as we want to!
Nice article. It's nice to see that people, no matter where they live, can go out and be what they want no matter what. |
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hikaru004
 Posts: 2306 |
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And that last paragraph did a nice job of grounding that article back into the reality of their situation in Japan.
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scortia
 Posts: 174 |
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The 'need' for maid cafes in Japan is rather sad. But if all otaku in Japan resembled those in Genshiken, I can see why they can't get dates.
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Strephon
Posts: 177 |
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Did they also post the piece on hikikomori that ran in the same episode?
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tkwelge
Posts: 18 |
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I don't know. I think a lot of these articles that try to "discuss" japan's latest generation of spoiled only children who never grow up are just trying to glam onto something newsworthy to hype. I'm sure that the vast majority of Japanese men and women have no trouble dating, reproducing, cohabitating, etc, etc, and I'm also sure that most of them are growing up with asperations of college and careers. Every one of these stories of Japan's "lost" children can be met with an equivalent story about loser Americans, Brits, etc that are equally pathetic. A frightening epidemic? Probably not.
Also, check out the related articles below the one in the link. They include more of the hype/misdirection that I'm talking about. |
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sam18x
Posts: 19 |
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Regarding the true magnitude of the hikikomori epidemic, I'm of the opinion that the truth is somewhere in between. Wikipedia has estimates that the actual number of hikikomori are somewhere between 500,000 and 1 million(which isn't truly troubling compared to 80 million workforce), but points out that hikikomori are largely concentrated in the male adolescent demographic, at which point that 1 million would represent 1 in 5 adolescent males.
 That's definitely escapism to an extent that is not yet seen in Europe or the US, and something indicative of a problem specific to or magnified in Japan.
You know, before 1996, Japan had 240-day school years? School 6 days a week with "special events" on Sunday? High School entrance exams? Yeah, if I had that kind of schedule, and had to live up to my hyper-ambitious parents expectations(whose generation lifted their country to 2nd place with their tireless work), and had to set an example for my siblings, I'd crack too... [/i] |
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tkwelge
Posts: 18 |
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The parents must be really doing a crappy job then. If I had loser kids like that, I would kick them out of the house. Is that considered unnacceptable in Japan?
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GracieLizzy
 Posts: 551 Location: Sunderland, England, UK |
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I've heard it's very unacceptable, because you're not supposed to draw any attention to the fact that a member of your family is acting in a way that is different to what is considered "normal". I'm not sure how true that is though. |
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hikaru004
Posts: 2306 |
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I think that when the problem (hikkimori) is that huge and a possible cure involves leaving the country as stated in that NPR article, then it's past a parental issue and more of a problem within the Japanese society. |
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Samurai-with-glasses
 Posts: 628 |
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tkwelge
Posts: 18 |
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It's a parental problem. Does society provide these children with their perpetual adolescense? No. It's obviously the parents. If they were forced to choose between a life on the street or a life of work, most of them would shape up and get a job. I would like to point out that I'm not saying that you're a loser because you don't strive to make 400 grand a year. I'm just saying that if a person doesn't work or have any real life, it's obviously because their gaurdians are raising them more as a pet than a child, and the only reason such people exist is because there is a large enough army of co-dependents to support them.
I have plenty of friends who work pointless jobs for little pay and live with no goals. I don't have a problem with that. If you work and pay for your own sh!t, then you are at least putting in to society what you're taking out of it (more or less). But if you literally do nothing, and withdraw from society, you're just a spoiled loser. |
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Ranmah
 Posts: 294 Location: Stomp'n on Tokyo Tower |
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The article is very informative. I agree that Otaku culture might have cultural problems in the future. When I walk around Akihabara, I can see all these girls dressed in maid outfits and Otaku taking pics of them.
Japanese society is pretty much an enigma. When you finish understanding one thing, another pop ups and you have to start from Square one all over again. I agree that the Parents need to take a stronger role in teaching their children. All it takes is for all the parties turn off their TV and Computer and start talking. Very cool article though. |
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Samurai-with-glasses
Posts: 628 |
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Oh wait. I am of the opinion that your American Dream/Individual Ethics opinion excludes far too much to be fair and just. Your assumption is simple: all otaku are spoiled losers; all otaku have other people supporting their "non-contributing" habits; all otaku do not deserve respect; pity, perhaps. A grand generalization: I vehemently disagree. Define me "real life." I'll show you pointless. Quite frankly, some people find it easier in this world than others. Just because you can doesn't give you a right to insult and disparage entire groups of people who might not be so well-suited or so fortunate as you are... I would probably have gone into seclusion in my own world too if the pressure of society is as great as Japan appears to be. |
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tkwelge
Posts: 18 |
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I never said, "All Otakus are losers." Theoretically, you can still be an Otaku and work and have something resembling a life. All I said was that any life that depends on the constant support of co-dependents is that of a loser. I live with my parents. They help me every now and then. But I pay for my own food, clothing, school, car, insurance, etc. I do my own laundry much of the time. I do chores and contribute to the household. The whole withdrawing from society thing is what I object to, because it requires the support of co-dependents. In fact it is the opposite of the American dream to live a life that requires others to take care of you. Choosing to live such a life, rather than being forced into it by racism, poverty, disability, etc. makes you a low person in my opinion. I'm sorry, but much of your rhetoric is far too alternative school for me. In the natural world, these people would not survive. Their continued existence in the hikikomori lifestyle is an illusion. Furthermore, there was another poster who talked about japanese society being an "enigma" and how we would never really understand it. You sound like your talking about the magical world of the smurfs when you talk about OTHER HUMAN BEINGS. This is shocking, almost a little racist. I know this is not your intention, but it's that age old idea of "East is East, West is West, and never the twain shall meet." |
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