[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUxz9sZhzfQ[/youtube]
Timeline
● 1980’s：Accompanying the spread of the personal computer in household, major computer gaming chain stores appeared on the market.
● 1990’s：With the household chain stores appearing throughout the suburban outskirts of Tokyo, the sale of consumer durables at Akihabara was greatly reduced.
● 1994 年：The sale of computer goods increased.
● 2000 年：With name-brand computer sales in decline, otaku shops have arisen in their place.
● 2008 年：The Akihabara massacre took place on pedestrian-zoned Chūōdōri street.
Linkography
From “The 4th Generation of Otaku” (IT Media, 03/19/08):
As the number of “light” otaku increases, one can feel the spread of otaku culture. Terao was surprised when asked a question “What is Haruhi?” by a non-otaku acquaintance. At his telecommunication school, he often hears students talking about Niko Niko Animation.
A car maniac and an anime maniac are both otaku. Whether you buy a CD from the Tower Records or from Animeito, you still buy a CD. It is just a difference between a major and a minor. Due to the Akiba Boom, there is a widespread understanding that anyone is otaku.
“I’m alone, but not lonely” (Grassmuck, Volker)
● A German sociologist, Volker Grassmuck discusses about the colonization of information and media world by Otaku group.
“Meet the Geek Elite” (Wired Magazine, July 2006)
● Wired Magazine interviews Koota Umeda, a salaryman and a self-confessed otaku