Tokyo's Geek Ghetto

anaesthetica writes "The Washington Post is running a story on Tokyo's "Geek Ghetto" which has arisen in the city's electronics retail district, "Electric Town." From the article: "We have been discriminated against for being different, but now we have come together and turned this neighborhood into a place of our own.... In Akihabara, we don't need to be ashamed of who we are and what we like.... We can feel comfortable because here, we outnumber everyone else." There are concerns, however, that the total immersion in escapist culture may be causing social problems, including a growing number of shut-ins." I've gone to Tokyo 3x and visited Akihabara all three times. Highly recommended for anime fans and techies.

Comments

I suppose...

[goldspider]

...clustering around your "own kind" is easier than rounding yourself out by interacting with a diverse blend of people, but that would require open-ness to the possibility that you are not the center of the universe.

This isn't about geek "persecution", it's about geek arrogance.

Re:Geek persecution

[Otter]

The persecuted generally manage to find each other. When they do, it's amazing what they can do.

They're paying women to dress up as anime characters and serve them tea. How amazed am I supposed to be?

I concur

[ryanvm]

I've gone to Tokyo 3x and visited Akihabara all three times. Highly recommended for anime fans and techies.

Yes - I too wish all anime fans would move to Japan.

I keeeed, I keeeed.