Community Development and 'Otaku' : the case of Nipponbashi, Osaka

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  • オタク文化の集積とオタクの参画を得たまちづくり : 大阪・日本橋の事例
  • オタク ブンカ ノ シュウセキ ト オタク ノ サンカク オ エタ マチズクリ : オオサカ ・ ニホンバシ ノ ジレイ

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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to illustrate activities of and interactions among enthusiastic fans, otaku in Japanese, in a Japanese subculture occurring both in real space and cyberspace. It also looks at the forms of community development related to this, such as the evolution of an 'otaku town'. This will be described through a case study involving Nipponbashi, a district in the city of Osaka. Between the 1950s and 1980s, Nipponbashi developed as an area specializing in electronic goods, but since the 1990s, it transformed into an area focusing on hobby goods. A proliferation of computer shops followed that of the hobby shops. Since the 2000s, Nipponbashi has been full of consumers of hobby goods and related services. They often purchase comics, animation DVDs, figurines, cards, and game software, and they drop in to maid cafes or game centers. These consumers enjoy their hobbies not only in person in Nipponbashi but also in cyberspace. They use the three tools of bulletin boards, weblogs, and social networking services. The shopkeepers in Nipponbashi have organized associations for commercial activation. The associations started projects for community development (machizukuri) in the late 1980s and founded a new company, Nipponbashi Machizukuri Shinko, in 2003. The leaders of the company mapped out the following two strategies. First, They appointed young otaku, a slang term meaning 'enthusiast', to leadership positions in the business community Second , they presented Nipponbashi not only as a center for purchasing electric goods but also as an area for this group to interact. The main projects of the company are the publication of magazines and maps, the management of rental office space for companies making CG animation, sponsorship of events, management of the information center, and promotions using virtual idols. The main actors of the projects are divided into two groups: managers and directors. Executive staff members in the existing associations have served as managers and facilitators of the ideas and activities of the new group of leaders. The new owners of the hobby shops and the creators and the fans who come from other areas have served as directors and staff. Some of them are writers of weblogs about Nipponbashi and the owners or the members of virtual communities found on social networking services. In conclusion, otaku enjoy their hobbies both on the Internet and in Nipponbashi where there are many hobby shops and events, and most of them think of Nipponbashi as a kind of hometown. Some of these otaku are fascinated by the atmosphere of Nipponbashi itself and have taken part in activities for community development as owners of hobby shops or staff of community development projects. The growing number of hobby shops and projects for community development has improved the image of Nipponbashi as a town fascinating not only for target consumers, or these 'otaku', but also for various visitors from outside this subculture.

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