Figure Collecting Culture

Economic activity of investing to support specific characters, VTubers, or idols. Investment in 'oshi' (favorite characters) has become normative, forming a market worth tens of billions annually. Integrated fan investment behavior including merchandise purchases, live attendance, and game spending. Recognized as a phenomenon expressing the essence of fan culture in the digital age.

Collecting action figures of anime and game characters with domestic market exceeding 600 billion yen annually. Major manufacturers like Good Smile Company and Max Factory produce high-quality figures. Forms important economic layer of otaku culture.

Business model licensing anime, game, and manga characters to multiple companies for diverse merchandise opportunities. Ranges from traditional models (Sanrio, Gegege no Kitaro) to modern anime character goods. Converts otaku character affection into purchasable commodities, materializing fandom devotion at industrial scale.

Trading card game released by Nintendo from 1996. Grown to a market worth hundreds of billions yen globally, with rare cards becoming speculative assets. It exemplifies how Japanese card game culture evolved into a worldwide collecting phenomenon with significant economic and cultural impact.

A Japanese video sharing service featuring unique on-screen scrolling comments. Since its launch in 2006, it has nurtured numerous internet cultures including Vocaloid, 'utaite' (cover singers), and 'odottemita' (dance covers). It holds an extremely important place in the history of Japanese internet culture.

Nakano Broadway, a commercial complex in Tokyo's Nakano district. Concentrated otaku shops selling retro games, anime merchandise, and figures. Youth-oriented otaku culture hub distinct from Akihabara. Hosts doujinshi sales events. Popular otaku exploration destination.

A mixed-use commercial complex in Nakano, Tokyo. Its eight-story building concentrates anime, manga, and merchandise shops. It has become a mecca for young otaku, merging subculture with consumer culture. Compared to Akihabara, it features higher density and more niche content, attracting sophisticated fan communities.