Japan Forum's Laurence Green caught up with Patrick Galbraith to talk about his new book Otaku and the Struggle for Imagination in Japan, which investigates everything from computer games and anime to manga and maid cafes to better understand the phenomenon of the 'otaku' in contemporary Japan.

In the podcast, Patrick talks about how the book draws on ten years of research immersed in the depths of Tokyo's Akihabara district and pop-cultural fandom; the history of the term 'otaku'; the intersection between 'otaku', gender and sexuality; and the new forms of subjectivity and identity that have crystallised around 'otaku' culture.

The podcast can be found here:

https://www.soas.ac.uk/jrc/publications/japan-forum/


Bill Mihalopoulos

Chief Editor
Japan Forum