The Otaku Encyclopedia: An Insider's Guide to the Subculture of Cool Japan

by Patrick W. Galbraith, Patrick W. Galbraith

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, previously marginalized with labels
such as geek and nerd, are now calling themselves otaku with pride.

The Otaku Encyclopedia offers fascinating insight into the subculture of Cool Japan. With over 600 entries, including common expressions, people, places, and moments of otaku history, this is the essential A to Z of facts every Japanese pop-culture fan needs to know. Author Patrick W. Galbraith has
spent several years researching deep into the otaku heartland and his intimate knowledge of the subject gives the reader an insider's guide to words such as moé , doujinshi , cosplay and maid cafés. In-depth interviews with such key players as Takashi Murakami, otaku expert Okada Toshio, and J-pop
idol Shoko Nakagawa are interspersed with the entries, offering an even more penetrating look into the often misunderstood world of otaku. Dozens of lively, colorful images--from portraits of the interview subjects to manga illustrations, film stills and photos of places mentioned in the text--pop
up throughout the book, making The Otaku Encyclopedia as entertaining to read as it is informative.

Genres: Nonfiction, Japan, Manga, Reference, Anthropology, Anime

248 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2009

About the author

Patrick W. Galbraith earned a PhD in Information Studies from the University of Tokyo, and is currently pursuing a second PhD in Cultural Anthropology at Duke University. He is the author of The Otaku Encyclopedia (Kodansha, 2009), Tokyo Realtime: Akihabara (White Rabbit Press, 2010), Otaku Spaces (Chin Music Press, 2012) and The Moe Manifesto (Tuttle, 2014), as well as the co-editor of Idols and Celebrity in Japanese Media Culture (Palgrave, 2012) and Debating Otaku in Contemporary Japan (Bloomsbury, 2015).

Reviews

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun a-z about a special Japanese subculture. It is full of information. Some of it seems a bit dated in the fast moving world of youth culture, but that is always a risk when writing about this subject. One weakness with the book is that you do not get any information about how this subculture fits with the rest of Japanese culture. Overall I can still recommend if you want to understand more.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this for my otaku daughter's 11th birthday, but thought I'd better preview it for unduly squicky material -- which it turns out to have in abundance! It's not in bad taste, but it definitely covers EVERY aspect of Japanese fandom, and some of those are almost certainly beyond her comfort level. I'll keep it and let her look things up in it if she wants to, but I'm not going to wrap a ribbon around it and give it to her saying "Here, learn about Japanese sex dolls and guys who have crushes on prepubescent cartoon characters, Honey!" There's a difference between not forbidding something and actively pushing it at your kid, so ...

However, it wasn't money wasted, because this stuff really is fascinating and I'm enjoying reading it myself! From influential anime films to maid cafes, fan-created manga to pop idols, girls with blingy cell phones and white eye-makeup to collectible robot figurines, it's a wide and wonderful world out there. Well written, only occasionally slipping into overt geekiness, this is a great guide to Japanese pop subcultures. We're tentatively planning a trip to Japan in the spring, and this is giving me tons of ideas for things not to miss, and a little window of understanding into what we might find there.

[Yue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. My first of this year -and I hope, of many more to come.-

I have considered myself an otaku-wannabe for a while, but after reading this book, I realized that it was a huge joke. Otakus are seriously into it. It is not a mere hobby. I am more of a manga-wota; Johnny-wota.

This encyclopedia is very complete, it covers from manga to anime; video-games to idoru. There are great pictures: about idorus, places, dolls and figures, but also some of them are very sexual. It also includes interviews with some connoisseurs of different fields (maid, anime, cosplay, etc.), some crimes that occurred with an otaku as the perpetrator.

It is like this opened my eyes. I have always found Japan a fascinating culture, but several times I was thinking this is so crazy (the dolls... the different kind of maids... certain fetishes. WOW).

I loved this book. PG-18

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read it via the digital borrowing system from the internet archive, as it's hard to find a physical copy online. The resolution was very good, although the scans were a bit too dark.

The lecture was somewhat disappointing. Being an encyclopedia it's expected to have a good coverage in breadth, but some topics weren't explored in depth enough. Entries where the topic is tied in to historical/cultural contexts were the most enjoyable, while the many others where the mere definitions were stated felt really dry. The language was objective, lacking idiosyncrasies of otakus, those being isolated in the titular character whose purpose is to depict the concepts in a representative way, albeit making the reading experience weird in the process (at least to someone that does not identify as such). The interviews within provide some interesting points of view.

Some grouping would've helped. For example, it covers many types of cafés: maido, imouto, sister, dansei. These are scattered around instead of constituting a single entry with bullet points. Other entries felt irrelevant, like the one for Disney and Hanna Barbera studios.

Overall, a good resource for a surface level examination of this subculture, but not quite enough to construct a cohesive reasoning for it's existence.

[Fyo · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a good overall encyclopedia of otaku culture but it misses several topics that I think need to be addressed if you’re going to cover everything otaku, for example there’s no entry for the Josei demographic (when there is for seinen, the male counterpart), and there’s no discussion of bara/gei comi (manga made by and for gay men as opposed to BL/yaoi made by and for women) which perpetuates the idea that all gay Japanese content is for fujoshis. This also somehow doesn’t have an entry for Akira Toriyama, often considered one of, if not the most, influential modern mangaka. I kept flipping back and forth sure I had to have missed something but nope, nothing for the man who created Dragon Ball. Overall this is definitely a good resource for otaku information but it isn’t what I’d consider complete.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although now some of the terms described in the book might not be as relevant anymore, randomly finding it on a bookstore shelf way back in 2011 during my budding anime fan years had been of great help! With colorful pictures aiding to keep my interest piqued through to the end, it was a little book full of wonder for the tiny me. Even now I don't have the heart to sell or throw it out, so ten years later it's still sitting comfortably on one of my shelves.

Would be perfect for people who either want to start with something cute and easy-to-read as an entry point, or maybe take a trip down the memory lane (for the content itself, and also to remember the way people used to write about Japan back then).

[Mike Kato · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Otaku Encyclopedia> is exactly as advertised, an encyclopedia devoted to all things otaku. While the word "otaku" has not become mainstream vernacular, for people who are well versed in things originating in Japan or in global subculture, the word is familiar and, interestingly, becoming quite "cool." It is interesting because the term, in Japanese, conveys quite the opposite of cool; even if the obsessive pursuits of seriously devoted fans of a complex and, often, slightly deranged medium become popular, it is the slightly disapproving public perception of the pursuit that separates the otaku from a mere fan. For every fan of games, anime, manga, idols, dolls, and related hobbies, only the devoted otaku transcend from a passive consumer to active participant.

Patrick Galbraith's book is, no doubt, an encyclopedia. It provides an alphabetical dictionary to all things otaku. But unlike most other encyclopedia's, it is one that is actually quite readable in its entirety, from A to Z. Not only for its short interviews with a handful of some of the people noted for their contributions to otaku history and culture, but the definitions themselves provide a great deal of information for those who are trying to understand contemporary Japan and, particularly, the Cool Japan movements that are being promoted by the Japanese government and many others.

Even though the subject matter may seem juvenile, risque, and somewhat frivolous to some, it is very informative and useful for any student of contemporary Japan. Even if you are not interested in otaku pursuits, some understanding of these phenomenon is critical to knowing modern Japan and planning the way forward.

[Allan · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a newcomer to the world of anime/manga fandom I found it pretty good, but I could not compare to much of anything else.

It's a pretty complete view of otaku culture in Japan and is based on hundreds of interviews done by Patrick as part of his research earning a Ph.D from a Japanese university in international communications. Some of the information causes some controversy with US fans and that's because what is here is based on Japanese fans. Examples, under the influential manga category "Maison Ikkoku" is listed and in the US "Ranma 1/2" (and if you're asking "Ranma 1/2" not listed) is much more important to the career of Rumiko Takahashi. Another manga listed as influential is "La Girl Blue" which is very ecchi and many US fans are very hung up about anime and manga being identified with SEM. Whatever... Additionally, there are fans and fen who get hung up about academic types taking some serious looks at fannish obssessions and activities.

Going on! The entries cover from Akanbe to Zettai Ryoiki and Zokusei and lots of stuff inbetween. Rumikio Takahashi has her own entry and the entry has a cover photo of Ranma in accompany it. Danny Choo has his own entry. In addition of general entries, some notables have their own two pages specials. Example, Nakagawa Shoko a Japanese idol who is well known for identifying as an gamer and otaku. Example, Ichikawa Koichi one of the founders of Comiket. Finally, Patrick is a moe fan and so that bias shows, but it's not overwhelming.

[Michael Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book while visiting Japan, hoping to find out more about the rad newgen sub-culture of otaku. Overall, this is a short encyclopedia, plus a collection of interviews. It is much of what Otaku Spaces fails to be, that is, an analysis of what the otaku culture is and means---this I liked very much. However, the presentation structure and style remain that of an encyclopedia, that is, rather dry, and there is an issue of too many explicit images sprinkled everywhere, so I would still recommend reading instead the more general A Geek in Japan.

I read this in a plane, so I have to mention that there are very explicit images sprinkled on every page. I guess these are good representations of the manga/anime culture as seen by the author, but it makes for an unnecessarily cumbersome reading in a public space. Also, I've read plenty of manga, but not much of the eroge/hentai/lolicon type. Anyway, it would have been much easier for the average European reader to restructure the imagery as follows: leave a few loose explicit images, and combine the rest (most) in a section only for explicit images.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only partially read this book. It was good, but I had other books that I needed/wanted to read that ended up taking priority.

Baically, you can look up a term that you would like to know in manga or anime or other otaku pursuits and read an entry about it. Just getting through the B's I learned quite a bit. There are also interviews with various artists and directors about the otaku culture.

Otaku - basically a type of geek or nerd. It's someone who likes video games and the internet and manga and anime and collecting action figures. Someone you might think of as living at home with their parents and not dating because of a shyness with the opposite sex. There's also been a connotation of being creepy associated with this term and I think Japan has been trying to dispel the negative aspects of otaku and focus on the more fun, positive things.

I'll eventually check this out again from the library and continue my cultural reading. Considering the amount of manga I've been reading I think I've read more from Japanese authors than from other foreign authors and have been amazed at the differences and the similarities. I haven't been to Japan, though. Maybe someday.

[Luru · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong four stars.

As the title suggests, this is an encyclopedia; there are many entries to the anime/manga/Japanese pop-culture jargon, not forgetting history and the people who have been involved in it, a handful of interviews giving a more personal touch to a few topics.

The book is written with the otaku culture in mind, which is an elusive term at best, even within the covers of this book.

As someone who has long been interested in anime and manga, but has had little time to devote to that interest, this was a thorough eye-opener to a world I am yet to explore fully.

The book was aesthetically pleasing and easy enough to explore, cross-referencing entries so that you could jump back and forth for clarification (or, as usually was the case, to find a related term).

A handy little book to have if you have an interest in this area.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

An essential guide to any anime or Manga fan. Unfortunately, some of the Otaku culture is very sexual, and I can't offer it to my high school students. I had the Japanese teacher look at it, and she confirmed that she would not be able to use it with students, but may be able to use some sections as a resource in class.

[Salsabrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The more I read about Japanese pop culture, the less I understand it! Idoru, maid cafes, Lolitas, boy love, yikes! It's so female-oriented and female-objectifying. Japanese culture can be very subtle so I'm sure I'm missing something here. Still, a handy resource to peruse if you're curious about Japan's pop culture, and even if you're already an aficionado you might discover something new.

[yengyeng · Rating 3 out of 5]

Essential reading for otaku and otaku-wannabes.

[Brendan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very helpful, included a lot of things I'd never heard of at all

[Samantha Brattle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book it is infromative as well as funny and interesting. A must have for all otaku, anime and manga fans.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's pretty good and provides good definitions and descriptions of everything. A few things are a bit overdone, but all-in-all it's very informative and executed well.

[Lucid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although at first glance, it looks like another one of those horrible books that try to cash in on the anime/manga fandom, it's actually pretty nice. The terms were relevant and interesting.

[Brandon Hickey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for reference, but the drawings are borderline pornographic.

[Ray Else · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly, an encyclopedia of Manga and Anime idioms, as well as cultural phenomenon such as Maid Cafes and Moe (falling in love with a Manga / Anime character). Good reference.

[Eli · Rating 2 out of 5]

Galbraith plagiarized the Wikipedia entry I wrote for Hideaki Anno when I was 14 so I have to give him a low rating but it can’t be rock bottom