The Otaku Encyclopedia

With over 500 entries - including common expressions, people, places, and moments of otaku history - this is the essential 'A to Z' of all the facts Japanese pop-culture fans need to know! Otaku: Nerd; geek or fanboy originates from a polite second-person pronoun meaning 'your home' in Japanese. Since the 1980s, it's been used to refer to people who are really into Japanese pop-culture, such as anime, manga, and videogames. A whole generation of people, previously marginalised with labels such as 'geek' and 'nerd' are now calling themselves 'otaku' with pride. The author, Patrick W. Galbraith, has spent several years researching deep in the otaku heartland and his intimate knowledge of the subject gives the reader an insider's guide to words such as moe, doujinshi, cosplay and maid cafes. Insightful interviews with key players - such as Takashi Murakami, otaku expert Toshio Okada, and J-pop idol Shoko Nakagawa - are interspersed throughout the book offering an even deeper look into the often misunderstood world of Otaku. This book offers a fascinating insight into the subculture of Cool Japan - from cosplay to anime, manga, videogames and a whole lot more. This is the definitive guide to the world of Otaku - Japan's anime nerds, game geeks and pop-idol fanboys - no competition.