While we here at RocketNews24 have no shortage of stories on geeky men in Japan, it should be noted that there are plenty of women that fulfill the otaku stereotype of being obsessed with anime, manga and video games. The recently published photo book Corrupted Rooms gives readers a peek inside the cramped living quarters of 50 self-professed otaku and shows the extreme level of dedication these women have to their hobbies. From rooms packed with action figures to racks of cosplay outfits, click below to catch a glimpse into the world of the female otaku!
Shiori Kawamoto, author of the 160-page book, said that she came up with the idea of a photo book after hearing stories of Japanese idols’ rooms that were filled to the brim with manga collections or video game accessories. Other idols living in the same dormitories would call these rooms “Corrupted Rooms” because the hobby had consumed and “corrupted” the woman’s life. Kawamoto began visiting these rooms and was amazed at the length some of these women went to in pursuit of their hobby.
▼Who wants to sleep on a bed full of stuffed Gloomy Bears, the pink, cute and cuddly man-eating bear?
The book, which went on sale for 1,995 yen (US$19.95) last month, shows the rooms of 50 different women in Tokyo and Osaka who have all dedicated their very limited living space to their personal obsession. The women represent all walks of life such as the unemployed living in their parents’ home or regular white-collar workers. And true to the somewhat murky definition of otaku, these women show an extreme obsession with just about every kind of hobby from railroads to eyeglasses.
▼Ever heard of an “eyeglasses otaku?” Well, now you have.
In the afterword of the book, Kawamoto explains that she was taken aback by how happy these people were to live their lives this way. Even though some of us might enjoy video games or manga, few of us would fill our rooms with action figures and anime collectibles. After observing these people so content to live their pleasant lives, she wondered if people would better off to to allow ourselves to be “corrupted” by our hobbies.
▼This megafan may lack adequate living space, but she seems perfectly happy in her idol-obsessed life
According to some of the reviews on Amazon Japan, some readers thought this book was just a cheap way for lecherous men to peek inside women’s rooms, while other readers thought the pictures gave a fascinating look into the secret lives of everyday people.
Take a further look below at some of the pages from the book and let us know what you think in the comments below! Do these otaku shatter your stereotype of the Japanese otaku by showing that women can be equally as dedicated to their nerdy hobbies? Do you have any geeky pleasures that you love to collect and display at home?
▼ Video game fanatic and Japanese idol Mirin Furukawa of the otaku idol group Dempagumi.inc plays a video game at home
▼The room of a NEET absolutely packed with anime and manga memorabilia
▼ A woman sits in front of her wall plastered with posters from the video game Persona 4
▼Despite not having room for a proper drying rack, this otaku knows her priorities: action figures
▼ Who needs art on the wall when you can have an assortment of maid costumes at your disposal?
▼This room’s impressive manga collection is accented by cute dangling figures
▼No, that isn’t the result of a urban decay, this is the room of an art fan who creates her own work inside a cramped Japanese apartment
▼This gamer isn’t content to handling guns in her favorite first-person shooter, so she’s got a collection of model guns on her desk
▼A display recommending Corrupted Rooms for customers at a store in otaku mecca–Akihabara
Source/Images: Akiba Blog
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