Myth: All Japanese People are Geeks

A Gundam on display in Odaiba

I think it is a testament to this myth that many people I know who are studying Japanese are also madly in love with Japanese comics, anime and video games. Many of them have the air of an aspiring computer programmer as they talk excitedly about memorizing 500 kanji the night before.



My grandmother visited Japan before I did, and anytime anyone brings up Japan, the first anecdote she will present is this, almost verbatim every time:

"When I rode the train in Tokyo, there was a gentleman in a business suit standing next to me, and he was reading a comic book just right there in the middle of the train. And it was a comic book with naked women in it!"

That is my grandmother's lasting impression of Japan.



Now while I think comic books here are socially tolerated better than in America, it does not mean that all of Japan is a haven for geeks to flock to.

Geeks in Japan are a fringe society just like in other countries. Their largest haven is a section of Tokyo called Akihabara. To call Akihabara a representation of Japan is like saying that Dallas, or any other city, represents all of America.

I have a Japanese friend who rolls her eyes and shakes her head sadly whenever she hears anyone say they've been to Japan if they've only been to Akihabara. It's like people who say they've gone to America because they've gone to Disney World.

Akihabara is its own unique little world crammed into the northeast section of Tokyo. You can find all things geeky there: From electrical parts to anything imaginable for sale to entire stores devoted to selling rare anime items. It's like a 24/7 anime convention, I think.





Japanese people are interested in everything else the rest of the world might find interesting. There are many, many Japanese people who can't name the characters to One Piece or Naruto any better than a non-geek in America can.


Yes, you will find comics and other geeky things for sale in other parts of Japan, but for the most part you will find that Japan is not as geek-friendly as you might suspect, or hope.