Hundreds of Otaku took part in the ‘Akihabara Liberation Demonstration’ last Saturday (June 30) to protest against otaku discrimination.
Otaku is a Japanese term commonly used to refer to people with obsessive hobbies, mostly with anime, manga and gaming. Akihabara neighbourhood of Tokyo is a popular gathering place for Otaku.
According to Hector who joined the demo…
They claimed respect from traditional media that sometimes treats otakus people in general as “criminals” and also the “liberation of Akihabara and otaku emancipation”. Lately many big department stores are conquering Akihabara, little shops are disappearing, and with them the “authentic Akihabara spirit” is also being destroyed.
The main message according to Danny Choo, translated from the official Japanese website…
* We make our own future!
* We wont let anybody stop what we like doing!
* In order to make enjoyment, lets stand together!