What does otaku mean in Japanese?

Many people know the word otaku, even if they have never studied Japanese. It’s a popular Japanese word that’s associated with people who like anime, manga, and Japanese culture.

Have you ever wondered what the word actually means in Japanese and whether it’s considered an insult? 

Origin of the word otaku

In order to grasp the meaning in Japanese, let’s look at the word origin!

Otaku as the word for “you”

The word originally came from お宅たく, which means your family or household.  It’s also a polite way to say “you”.

Otaku was being used as the word for “you” among fans of anime and manga since the 1970’s. These fans were socially awkward and too scared to actually ask people’s names. This is why they kept referring to each other as otaku even after getting to know each other. 

This social awkwardness was brought up in 1983, in a series of essays published in a hentai lolita magazine. These essays were called おたくの研究けんきゅう (otaku no kenkyuu), or otaku research. The author of the essays started to use the word for disruptive fans of manga and anime. 

Otaku also became popular because of its double meaning. The kanji, 宅, also means house or home. It also stood for someone who doesn’t go outside much and stays at home. 

Otaku gaining national attention

In 1989, the word otaku gained national attention because of a serial killer named Tsutomu Miyazaki. Because of his huge collection of anime and horror videos, he became nicknamed as the “otaku murderer”.

This image of an otaku caused widespread fear. It is one of the reasons this word came to have a negative connotation.

Otaku in Japan vs. outside of Japan

In Japan

In modern day Japan, otaku, has come to mean someone obsessed with a specific subject or hobby. It also has a connotation of lacking social skills due to their unsocial hobbies (manga, anime, games  etc…). 

This does not necessarily have to do with Japanese things. Hobbies can include cars, trains, history, or even movies.

Outside of Japan

Otaku has gained popularity outside of Japan for someone who is interested in things that are Japanese. These include manga, anime, video games, and more. 

In English, there are no words describing people interested in this kind of subculture. For example, words like geek or nerd don’t really mean the same thing as otaku. This is why it has seeped into the English vocabulary. 

The key differences

• In Japan, otaku can include interests outside of Japanese culture (cars, planes, history, etc…) 

• There is a specific image of people who are otaku in Japan. Although this is gradually changing, it usually means that you don’t have social skills and can’t interact with the real world. 

• Outside of Japan, otaku is not as negative. It just means that you enjoy manga, anime, video games, and other Japanese things.

Types of otaku

In Japanese, otaku means someone who has an obsession with a specific hobby or subject. This means that there is a huge variety!

Here are some popular types:

アニメオタク- anime otaku

飛行機ひこうきオタク- hikouki (airplane) otaku

アイドルオタク- aidoru (idol )otaku

鉄道てつどうオタク – tetsudou (train) otaku

漫画まんがオタク – manga otaku

歴史れきしオタク- rekishi (history) otaku

ゲームオタク- geemu (game) otaku

車くるまオタク – kuruma (car) otaku

婦女子ふじょし – fujoshi (“rotten girl” or girls interested in homosexual male relationship manga)

歴女 れきじょ– rekijo (girls obsessed with Japanese history)

There are many other types than listed here. In general, the name of the subject or hobby comes before the word オタク (otaku). 

It’s also common to find the names shortened. For example, 鉄道てつどうオタク(train otaku) can be shortened to 鉄てつオタ(tetsu ota).

Is otaku an insult in Japan?

You might be wondering whether otaku is an insult. In Japan, otaku seems to carry a negative connotation. The answer is that it depends on the type of otaku. 

For example, interests relating to collecting female figurines, idols, hentai anime and manga, are probably looked down upon. 

However, it’s different if you’re a train otaku who loves taking pictures of trains and knowing all of the routes. People might just think it’s a quirky hobby.

Either way, it’s best not to call someone an otaku, unless they are proud to be one! 

How do you write otaku in Japanese?

There are different ways you’ll encounter the word otaku. It can be written オタク、おたく、ヲタク. 

Otaku is most commonly written in katakana as オタク. The hiragana version, おたく, is the one that was used before the word became widespread and popular. 

The other version you’ll encounter is ヲタク. This is also katakana but uses a different letter for the o sound. 

There are different theories as to why this one became popular. It could be that some otaku were unhappy with the negative images of the word. They wanted to differentiate themselves by spelling it differently as ヲタク.

Manga, TV, and movies featuring otaku characters

If you really want to understand what otaku means in Japan, check out some manga, TV, and movies!

Densha otoko (train man) – This story can be found as a manga, T.V. show, and movie. Although it’s a bit old, it’s one of the first times that the term otaku gained popularity outside of the subculture. It’s about a shy otaku who intervenes with a drunk man harassing women on the train. He begins dating one of the women, and uses the internet to ask for dating advice. 

Wotakoi: Love is hard for an otaku – If you’re looking for a female character, this is a great place to start. Wotakoi has been published originally as a web manga, and can now be found as a T.V. live action, and anime series. The story is about two otaku characters with different interests falling in love.

Kuragehime (Princess Jellyfish) – The main character in this manga series is a jellyfish otaku who has a fear of stylish people and social interactions. She also shares an apartment full of female otaku’s. This series can also be found as an anime, T.V. show, and movie.

Genshiken – This is a manga and anime series that is about a college otaku club. The story features different aspects of otaku life. It could be a great way to learn more about what it means!

The world god only knows – This manga and anime series is about a character who excels at dating sim games, but is an otaku in real life. In this story, he has to test his dating game skills in the real world

In conclusion:

I hope that this blog post explained what otaku means in Japanese. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post in the comments section below.  If you’re interested in other Japanese culture content check out Ojigi or Bowing in Japan: Learn the Basics! or Religion in Japan: Shinto and Buddhism

~Tanuki