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Patrick W. Galbraith

The Otaku Encyclopedia: An Insider's Guide to the Subculture of Cool Japan Paperback – October 1, 2009

by Patrick W. Galbraith (Author), Frederik L. Schodt (Foreword)

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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.

Print length

248 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Kodansha USA
Publication date

October 1, 2009
Dimensions

7.3 x 0.7 x 5.2 inches
ISBN-10

4770031017
ISBN-13

978-4770031013
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"You can’t possibly be called an ‘otaku’ without this book." --Danny Choo, www.dannychoo.com

"Galbraith’s knowledge of Akihabara’s history and current manifestations makes the neighborhood’s warrens of obscurity feel vivid and layered, like a promising archeological dig." --Roland Kelts, author of Japanamerica

"Prepare for a wild, educational, and entertaining ride!"--from the foreword by Frederik L. Schodt, author of Manga! Manga!

"The author is clearly knowledgeable and the entries are rarely short blurbs, but are richly detailed and informative." --The Gaming Dungeon

"The Otaku Encyclopedia is obviously a treasure trove and necessary for anyone who is interested in anime and manga, but it also has much to offer anyone interested in Japanese history, society or linguistics." --Shelf Awareness

"This inexpensive, attractive and useful reference should have wide appeal for both otaku patrons and librarians working with manga and anime." --Library Journal

About the Author

PATRICK W. GALBRAITH is a journalist based in Tokyo. He specializes in Japanese popular culture, and writes a regular column for Metropolis magazine. He gives weekly tours of Akihabara, the otaku capital of Japan, and is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Tokyo.

Product details

Publisher : Kodansha USA; 1st edition (October 1, 2009)
Language : English
Paperback : 248 pages
ISBN-10 : 4770031017
ISBN-13 : 978-4770031013
Item Weight : 10.4 ounces
Dimensions : 7.3 x 0.7 x 5.2 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #3,191,193 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,132 in Comic & Graphic Novel Literary Criticism
- #1,549 in Comics & Graphic Novel History & Prices
- #14,981 in Popular Culture in Social Sciences

Customer Reviews:
79 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		76%
4 star		6%
3 star		6%
2 star		6%
1 star		6%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Anya

do u like anime? yes? the BUY it.

Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2012

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I had doubts about, if I should order that book, because I don't nececerry like to read, especally encyclopedias :p and since this booke called The Otaku Encyclopedia I thought it's gonna be informative, but hard and boring to read, and if it's boring I just know I wouldn't read it, so why waste money? well after reading all those great reviews I dicided to give it a try, and guess what? I couldn't be more happier that I did so :D This book is AWESOME!!! if u have any interest in ANIME, manga,or video games, this is what u need to get! U give u a garanti of 99% u will not regret it, and 90% that u at least will LIKE it (:

3 people found this helpful

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Megan Hartley-Simpson

Very good little gift book

Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2013

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Very fun little book. Lots of Japanese style cartoon drawings paired with words, pronunciations, Japanese writing. Guaranteed to make a teen envied. Given as a birthday gift to the coolest girl in school. It was apparently appreciated but boost to social standing
is not definite as of yet.

5 people found this helpful

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Betea

It had lots of related info. It was a gift.

Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2019

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Unknown. It was a gift

One person found this helpful

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Popapop2

A great book that's a must read

Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2016

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A great book that's a must read. I knew a good majority of the terms in the book, but it was still amazing to read and get solid definitions for them. The work put into this book is clear and it is a great read, and so much. It really helps to get the know of terms, anime, and many other things in the anime fandom. This book is great for old otaku and new ones alike.

2 people found this helpful

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Murph

My daughter loved this book

Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2016

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My daughter loved this book. Well written, entertaining, and obviously the author loves the subject. It was a hit as a gift.

Helpful

If you have an "All things Japanese" lover in your family, get this!

Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2015

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I got this for my step-daughter for her 19th birthday. I was an instant hit and I didn't even know it. Seemed like something she would enjoy and gosh darn it if I didn't get it right.

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Nancy

Son approved

Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2016

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I bought this for my son and he seemed to like it alot and refers to it often.

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rucksack22

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2016

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good

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M. Fairman

If you have been to Japan or are going, then buy

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 26, 2012

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Ok, it's not something you might even have heard of, but once there you can't fail to miss it. Teenage girls, and more recently boys walking around in the most amazing outfits, Tokyo or Osaka or most City really in Japan. You start to wonder and this book answers all the questions you could have.

This is the sub culture that most guide books barely touch on, if at all, but it is massive and you will see it. It's part of what makes Japan Japan.

Laid out in a simple A-Z format, I am reading it page by page as opposed to dipping in here and there. It's funny, well written and always interesting. A book like this could easily have been an excuse for fetish pictures, cheap sexual text and basically concentrating on the more sexual side of this culture. Instead the author has treated it seriously but with humour. The A-Z style is interlaced with various short articles on people or parts of the culture, one soon understands that Galbraith is passionate about the subject. He hasn't simply clawed together some views and explantions littered with pictures, but rather has lovingly constructed what must be the most comprehensive study of this amazing underground culture that is as much Japan as sushe is.

A very worth while additional to my book shelf.

5 people found this helpful

Achill

A bit too focused on the seedy side of Otaku ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 18, 2017

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A bit too focused on the seedy side of Otaku culture, especially with the illustrations. Wish I had known before I bought it. Had bought it for an anime fan but on looking through it, most of what I saw was sex toys and gratuituous pictures of boobs.

R. G. Milner

A good introduction to a slightly dodgy subculture

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 29, 2009

Verified Purchase

The Otaku Encyclopedia is an encyclopaedic dictionary of about 600 Japanese terms mainly from the Otaku subculture. It includes slang, jargon, characters, creative people and companies, and the like.

The main areas covered are manga, anime, cosplay, figures and dolls. Associated areas such as video and tabletop games, or airsoft guns, are also briefly mentioned.

Each term is fully explained with its original Japanese katakana and/or kana.

There are also frequent mini essays or interviews on some of the main personalities of the subculture, such as maid cafe idols, big name otaku, and figure sculptors.

As far as my knowledge goes this is all accurately explained. The author is an otaku-journalist, who having lived in Japan for about five years, is pursuing a PhD in otaku culture at the University of Tokyo. While I can't claim his depth of knowledge, my association with Japan goes back over 15 years. Although not an otaku myself I have been following Japanese and anime/manga culture since the early 1980s.

So I recommend it. If you want to know what "tsundere", "moe" or "gokko asobi" means, this book will tell you. It will also work as a general overview of the otaku scene.

If I have an argument with this book, it is the presentation of otaku as a part of Cool Japan. Good anime is cool. I don't think otaku is cool. Although otaku love anime, otaku itself is mainly a mode of consumption rather than self-expression or creativity. It does not have a cool image in the west, and much less in Japan itself. While the 2005 movie "Train Man" started to rehabilitate the image of otaku, it still remains a slightly weird subculture, especially on the outer fringes.

Some aspects of otaku -- cosplay, maid cafes, "dollpla" and "doujinshi" -- undeniably have a camp charm and demonstrate creativity and active fun.

The fetishisation of pubescent girls as sex objects, nude printed dakimakura (hug pillows,) and various kinds of sex dolls and figurines, will never be cool. It feels a bit creepy. It seems a small step from that to the pervy sarariman, groping schoolgirls on rush-hour trains and stealing housewives' panties off the washing line.

A major area of genuine cool is the Harajuku based street fashion scene, portrayed in magazines and books such as Fruits. This is only peripherally part of the otaku culture, via photography and fetishisation, for example, of schoolgirls' loose socks. It isn't covered here, which isn't a criticism as you can easily get other material covering it.

The book is an excellent introduction to the otaku subculture. I am left with the feeling that it is as much an attempt to claim public space and validate the author's personal interests, as it is a celebration of a successful cultural movement.

25 people found this helpful

Rob

Completísimo

Reviewed in Mexico on May 20, 2019

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A mi hijo Otaku le encantó.

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Christian

Witzige Geschenkidee

Reviewed in Germany on February 18, 2015

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Habe den "Otaku Guide" von meinem kleinen Bruder zu Weihnachten bekommen.
Stehen eine menge Informationen drinne, also brauchbar für langzeit Otakus als auch für diejenigen die neu im "Buisness" sind :-)

One person found this helpful

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