I posted the following as a comment on a thread in Facebook in which some of my old Senpai from Japanese class in undergrad were beating up on Otaku culture. Though not an otaku myself (not counting that Excel Saga DVD in my library or the Wii behind my computer) as a sociologist, I felt like I had to take an opposing stand:
I personally think it's kinda sad that Japanese people don't appreciate that people from other countries take an interest in their modern cultural output. Here you have the only modern pop culture besides Amero-British to reach a worldwide audience, and consequently to have the only significant impact on the direction of the world mono-culture, besides Amero-British.
Broadly speaking of significant quantitative numbers here (and outside of the art-house variety): Nobody watches French films. Nobody watches German films. Only other Asians watch Korean, Chinese and Japanese films. But EVERYBODY watches American and British movies.
Even if you don't particularly like Hollywood movies or hip-hop music or boy bands or sitcoms, you know you've seen or heard some, and your daily life is touched by other people who do like them. And in that respect, American-British cultural output stands alone in it's worldwide scope and influence.
The only other pop-culture in the world which can hold any candle to the hold that American(Brit) culture has is Japanese Otaku stuff: Anime, Manga, Games.
And whereas Americans and Brits might generally take some pride in that worldwide cultural influence, and while Germans and French certainly enjoy foreigners fawning over their contemporary cultural output (minor though its reach may be), the Japanese are different in that they feel shame for their artists accomplishments.
They feel ashamed that so many people like their unique modes and themes in their art forms. They feel ashamed that mania is the outward face of Japan, and I suppose that's their right to dislike the mis-perception.
But I find it sad that Japanese have such a bad attitude towards people from other countries who enjoy the modern culture of Japan which makes it unique.
Without Otaku culture, Japan is just like every other country in the developed world: Unique and quaint traditional culture holding on while all new indigenous culture completely mirrors Western-American-British output of pop, just in the local language.
