Japanese news services reported yet another case of otaku gari, or "otaku-hunting," on the streets of Akihabara last night. This time, the culprits weren't a gang but rather a twenty-year-old brother and sister; she'd bump the mark with her shoulder, then her brother would rush in and make him pay "apology money." After being caught, they confessed with the ever-popular motive of "otaku are weak and they’ve got money, so we went after them.”
Combined with the upsurge in shoplifting and weapon confiscations, Akiba has been losing some of its nerd-luster lately. Which isn't particularly surprising given how much attention it's recieved from visitors, press, and the industry in recent years. In fact, the word going around Wonderfest last weekend was that Akiba has become "a wasteland" (in the words of one longtime visitor) due to hordes of foreign toy-dealers scouring the shops for booty to take back to their homelands and sell at a profit. Say it ain't so!
Akiba is definitely being pushed by the tourist agencies. At the Narita JR office there were maps and guides in English being provided.
Regarding the shoplifting, I think this trip is the first time I've noticed the anti-shoplifting devices. All of the larger toys at the Osaka Yodobashi had one.
(I also accidentally set one off by picking up a box and disturbing the tape too much. I put it back on the shelf, quietly walking away and whistling the Japanese "Tom and Jerry" theme. ;p)
Posted by: Roger | August 17, 2007 at 08:09 AM
I just saw a manga at Kinokuniya the other day called "Pop Japan Travel - Essential Otaku Guide" which is basically an ad for Pop Travel Japan which does anime/toy/video game themed tours. Oh, they're marketing it all right. Only trouble we ran into (well, not me...more Rachel) was my wife getting hit on by a few greasy Japanese otaku. Funny how as soon as they saw me strolling out of the toy store, they went skittering off. Sometimes, size has its advantages...
Posted by: hillsy | August 17, 2007 at 03:27 PM
I can't fathom the concept of otaku hitting on anyone, let alone a foreign woman! Wonder what that was about.
It's almost enough to make one nostalgic for those innocent days when the only scary people stalking the streets of Akiba were... the Taliban!
http://altjapan.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/09/akihabara_1984.html
Posted by: Matt | August 18, 2007 at 09:36 AM
I'm amazed by the growth this hobby has seen. When I started ('96/'97) It seemed very niche. Hell, even toy collectors I hung out with would arch their eyebrows at me: "Japanese toys? What - you into Transformers now?" Now Gundam has come and gone from Target's shelves, urban and even classic Japanese vinyl toys are becoming chic, and Japanese (or faux Japanese) robots are on t-shirts, album covers, and the big screen. Bizarre.
Posted by: Corey | August 20, 2007 at 01:42 AM
By the time I get to there (another year at least - I'm in the States), I'll be surprised if there's anything cool left.
...at least I can hope that there will be some other, newer, better place to nerd-out at.
Posted by: Bernie | August 21, 2007 at 02:15 PM
Nakano is rapidly overtaking Akiba's postion as the nerdiest section of town, but it's getting more and more crowded every time I go. I distinctly remember when Mandarake opened its first shop on "love hotel hill" in Shibuya in the mid '90s, and I'd go months before seeing another foreign face. Now it seems like half of the chain's clientele are "nerd tourists" from abroad.
But the fact is that the real die-hards have been abandoining storefronts (in Akiba and elsewhere) for years. It's a lot easier to buy things online or from Yahoo Auctions, not to mention you get to avoid those scary interactions with other human beings.
Posted by: Matt | August 21, 2007 at 02:52 PM
when i was in akiba they had shoplifting devices everywhere! You set off your security devices all the time. it was like way annoying...
Posted by: Kev | August 22, 2007 at 05:37 AM