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.

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Yes, you can access Debating Otaku in Contemporary Japan by Patrick W. Galbraith, Thiam Huat Kam, Björn-Ole Kamm in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & Japanese History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Information

Publisher

Bloomsbury Academic

Year

2015

ISBN

9781472594990

Edition

Topic

History

Subtopic

Japanese History

Index

History

Cover
Half-title
Title
Copyright
Dedication
Contents
List of Figures and Tables
Notes on Contributors
Foreword: Otaku Culture as ‘Conversion Literature’
Acknowledgements
Introduction: ‘Otaku’ Research: Past, Present and Future
Section One: The 1980s
Section Two: The 1990s
Section Three: The 2000s
Index