Like with any language, the meanings of certain Japanese words change over time. Take the word “otaku,” which is originally a polite way of saying “you.” It’s so polite that overusing it can make a person sound a little wishy-washy, giving the impression that he’s not really comfortable with interpersonal relationships in general. Of course, if someone isn’t spending his time interacting with other people, then what does he fill his days with? Presumably, his solitary, or at least niche, hobbies such as watching anime. And so otaku picked up a second meaning of “obsessive nerd.” That was 30 years ago though, so a recent survey sought to answer this question: What do Japanese people imagine when they hear “otaku?”

　　日語同其他語言一樣，日語里一些詞匯的含義也會隨著時代的變化而變化。以“御宅”（otaku）這個詞為例，這個詞原本在日語中是‘你’的禮貌說法。不過‘御宅’這個詞過于謙敬以至于使用次數(shù)太多會給人一種輕浮不善交際的感覺。當然，如果有人每天都不和別人打交道，那么他拿什么來打發(fā)時間呢？也許只能是他的興趣愛好了吧，就比如說看動漫。所以‘御宅’這個詞又有了第二個意思，它指的就是那些宅人們。御宅這個詞在日本已經(jīng)有了30多年的歷史了。最近的一個調查就研究了如下課題：“日本人聽到‘御宅’的時候，會想到什么”。

　　結果如下：　

15. Pants with a lot of pockets – 4.8 percent

We start off with a bit of a surprise, as cargo pants have become pretty ubiquitous in Japan. Still, when you’re lugging around at least one handheld video game system, a cutting edge smartphone, and a fistful of 100-yen coins to drop at the arcade or bank of anime trinket vending machines, it’s nice to have enough pockets to keep everything separated.

14. A recent jump in stylishness – 6 percent

As previously niche hobbies like anime and video games move more and more into the mainstream, the odds of a hot guy or cute girl also being an otaku are climbing higher and higher, with some even arguing they make ideal dating partners.

13. Paper shopping bags – 13.7 percent

Japanese supermarkets only use plastic bags, but anime shops regularly place customers’ purchases in long bags made of thick paper, so that their goodies don’t get bent or scratched on the way home.

12. Plaid shirts – 13.9 percent

Combine one with a pair of multi-pocket pants for double otaku-ness

11. Bandanas – 14.5 percent

When you spend so much time wrapped up in your hobbies, it’s hard to find the time to go for a haircut, so a bandana or headband to keep your bangs out of your eyes is essential. Extra points if it’s emblazoned with the nickname of your favorite idol singer or voice actress.

10. An increasing number of girls – 18.9 percent

For most of the '80s and '90s, the otaku world was largely a boys’ club, but the increasing number of anime and video game titles designed for girls, spurred on by their willingness to pay for them, means you’re more likely than ever to find female otaku.

9. Backpacks – 23.5 percent

Because you’ve only got two hands, which means there’s a limit to how many paper bags of gear you can hold.

8. Someone who likes video games – 37.8 percent

While more and more cross-promotion and merchandising is blurring the line between video game, manga, and anime series, games remain the least likely of the three to be associated with the word “otaku.”

7. Someone who likes manga – 38.8 percent

Manga just barely hangs onto the second-place spot among the big three otaku hobbies.

6. They’re entering their golden age – 41.5 percent

At least some people don’t think being an otaku is anything to be ashamed of.

5. Akihabara / Akiba – 45.6 percent

Akihabara remains the worldwide mecca for all things anime, video game, and maid-related. The neighborhood has gone along wholeheartedly with the perception, and even the nickname Akiba, which started out as strictly a part of otaku parlance, is now widely understood in Japan.

4. Someone with his or her own world – 46.8 percent

Whether it’s for better (a well of passion they can go to at any time) or for worse (a delusional refusal to face reality), there’s no denying that otaku are well-versed in escapism.

3. Someone who knows a lot about one thing – 47.9 percent

A lot of the things that otaku get so wrapped up in are actually pretty prevalent in society. In Japan, almost everyone rides a train or uses a computer daily, and you can’t watch TV or go into any shopping center without hearing at least a few songs from the most popular idol groups. What makes someone an otaku, though, is a time and energy commitment strong enough to seek out all there is to know about the subject.

2. Someone who likes anime – 50.4 percent

This one was bound to come up eventually. Survey participants were far more likely to think of an anime lover than a manga reader or gamer when picturing an otaku in their mind’s eye.

1. Someone obsessed with his or her hobby – 61.9 percent

The top response, though, showed that the most common image of an otaku had less to do with liking something, but more to do with not liking anything else. In the end, it doesn’t seem to matter if you’ve got a bookshelf of manga or line up overnight when a new video game console gets released, as long as those aren’t the only things that get you fired up.

So even if you’d rather not be called an otaku, if you feel like filling up your DVR with the newest anime or your SD card with photos of rare trains, go right ahead. Just make sure those aren’t the only things filling your calendar.

15. 穿有許多口袋的褲子 4.8％

這種多袋褲在日本還是很常見的，所以它能榜上有名著實讓人有點吃驚。不過當你要左手拿一個游戲機，右手拿一個高端智能機，還要預留一堆硬幣用于在動漫飾品販賣機上購買東西的時候，你就會發(fā)現(xiàn)多一些兜將物品分開裝真是極好的。

14. 流行人士 6％

在日本一些諸如看動漫，玩電子游戲等愛好逐漸成為主流，一個走在街上的帥哥或者是美女很可能就是御宅族，甚至有人覺得他們就是理想的約會對象。

13. 紙袋 13.7％

日本超市只為客戶提供塑料袋，但是動漫店一般都會把顧客買的商品放在厚厚的紙袋里，這樣就能確保這些商品在回家的路上不被劃傷弄彎。

12. 格子衫 13.9％

通常御宅族會將格子衫與多袋褲搭配在一起穿。

11. 頭巾 14.5％

當你在你的愛好中投入了全部的時間和精力，你就會發(fā)現(xiàn)找個時間去剪頭實在有些困難。所以這個時候頭巾的重要性就體現(xiàn)出來了，當然，如果這個頭巾印有你最喜歡的偶像歌手或者是聲優(yōu)的小名就更好了。

10. 越來越女性化 18.9％

對許多80后90后的人來說，御宅族就是男人的天下，但現(xiàn)在越來越多的動漫和電玩都設計成女性向的，這樣可以拉動女性人群的消費能力，這就意味著你將會在日本發(fā)現(xiàn)更多的宅女。

9. 背包 23.5％

生來兩只手，能力有限提不走。

8. 喜歡玩電玩的人 37.8％

現(xiàn)在越來越多的商品沒有明顯的定位特征，一個人物原型可以即在游戲領域上發(fā)售，也可以拍成動漫在動漫領域上發(fā)售，還可以畫成漫畫在漫畫領域上出售。在這三項當中游戲和御宅關系最疏遠。

7. 喜歡漫畫的人 38.8％

漫畫在御宅族3大愛好中排名第二。

6. 年輕氣盛 41.5％

至少有人不覺得作為一名御宅很羞愧。

5. 秋葉原 45.6％

秋葉原可是世界宅男的圣地，整片區(qū)域都彌漫著宅文化。以前Akiba(即秋葉原的小名，秋葉原讀作akihabara)是御宅族們的內部叫法，現(xiàn)在這個詞幾乎日本人都知道。

4. 活在自己的世界中 46.8％

不論是好(他們任何時候都有極高的熱情)還是壞(拒絕面對現(xiàn)實)，毫無疑問宅男都很擅長逃避現(xiàn)實生活。

3. 在某一領域了解很多的人 47.9％

許多宅男們都酷愛當今社會的流行元素。在日本，幾乎所有人每天都會使用電腦，在沒有看到由人氣偶像組合代言這個物品之前，你是不會下手去購買的。到底什么是御宅精神？就是在一個領域投入巨大精力和時間渴望了解到全部信息的一種精神。

2. 喜歡動漫的人 50.4％

該來的還是會來。在受試者腦海中，御宅更像動漫愛好者，而不是漫畫愛好者或者是游戲愛好者。

1. 沉迷于自己的愛好 61.9％

排名第一的回答顯示了：宅男形象的產(chǎn)生不是因為喜愛特定的一件事，而恰恰是因為除了這一件事之外對其他的事毫無感覺。你有一書柜的漫畫，或者是玩一宿剛發(fā)售的游戲都不要緊，只是別只做這兩件事就好。

如果你的真的很喜歡宅文化，但卻不想被稱為御宅族，那就在保持宅愛好的基礎上多涉獵一些別的項目吧。

　　

　　Like with any language, the meanings of certain Japanese words change over time. Take the word “otaku,” which is originally a polite way of saying “you.” It’s so polite that overusing it can make a person sound a little wishy-washy, giving the impression that he’s not really comfortable with interpersonal relationships in general. Of course, if someone isn’t spending his time interacting with other people, then what does he fill his days with? Presumably, his solitary, or at least niche, hobbies such as watching anime. And so otaku picked up a second meaning of “obsessive nerd.” That was 30 years ago though, so a recent survey sought to answer this question: What do Japanese people imagine when they hear “otaku?”

　　日語同其他語言一樣，日語里一些詞匯的含義也會隨著時代的變化而變化。以“御宅”（otaku）這個詞為例，這個詞原本在日語中是‘你’的禮貌說法。不過‘御宅’這個詞過于謙敬以至于使用次數(shù)太多會給人一種輕浮不善交際的感覺。當然，如果有人每天都不和別人打交道，那么他拿什么來打發(fā)時間呢？也許只能是他的興趣愛好了吧，就比如說看動漫。所以‘御宅’這個詞又有了第二個意思，它指的就是那些宅人們。御宅這個詞在日本已經(jīng)有了30多年的歷史了。最近的一個調查就研究了如下課題：“日本人聽到‘御宅’的時候，會想到什么”。

　　結果如下：　

15. Pants with a lot of pockets – 4.8 percent

We start off with a bit of a surprise, as cargo pants have become pretty ubiquitous in Japan. Still, when you’re lugging around at least one handheld video game system, a cutting edge smartphone, and a fistful of 100-yen coins to drop at the arcade or bank of anime trinket vending machines, it’s nice to have enough pockets to keep everything separated.

14. A recent jump in stylishness – 6 percent

As previously niche hobbies like anime and video games move more and more into the mainstream, the odds of a hot guy or cute girl also being an otaku are climbing higher and higher, with some even arguing they make ideal dating partners.

13. Paper shopping bags – 13.7 percent

Japanese supermarkets only use plastic bags, but anime shops regularly place customers’ purchases in long bags made of thick paper, so that their goodies don’t get bent or scratched on the way home.

12. Plaid shirts – 13.9 percent

Combine one with a pair of multi-pocket pants for double otaku-ness

11. Bandanas – 14.5 percent

When you spend so much time wrapped up in your hobbies, it’s hard to find the time to go for a haircut, so a bandana or headband to keep your bangs out of your eyes is essential. Extra points if it’s emblazoned with the nickname of your favorite idol singer or voice actress.

10. An increasing number of girls – 18.9 percent

For most of the '80s and '90s, the otaku world was largely a boys’ club, but the increasing number of anime and video game titles designed for girls, spurred on by their willingness to pay for them, means you’re more likely than ever to find female otaku.

9. Backpacks – 23.5 percent

Because you’ve only got two hands, which means there’s a limit to how many paper bags of gear you can hold.

8. Someone who likes video games – 37.8 percent

While more and more cross-promotion and merchandising is blurring the line between video game, manga, and anime series, games remain the least likely of the three to be associated with the word “otaku.”

7. Someone who likes manga – 38.8 percent

Manga just barely hangs onto the second-place spot among the big three otaku hobbies.

6. They’re entering their golden age – 41.5 percent

At least some people don’t think being an otaku is anything to be ashamed of.

5. Akihabara / Akiba – 45.6 percent

Akihabara remains the worldwide mecca for all things anime, video game, and maid-related. The neighborhood has gone along wholeheartedly with the perception, and even the nickname Akiba, which started out as strictly a part of otaku parlance, is now widely understood in Japan.

4. Someone with his or her own world – 46.8 percent

Whether it’s for better (a well of passion they can go to at any time) or for worse (a delusional refusal to face reality), there’s no denying that otaku are well-versed in escapism.

3. Someone who knows a lot about one thing – 47.9 percent

A lot of the things that otaku get so wrapped up in are actually pretty prevalent in society. In Japan, almost everyone rides a train or uses a computer daily, and you can’t watch TV or go into any shopping center without hearing at least a few songs from the most popular idol groups. What makes someone an otaku, though, is a time and energy commitment strong enough to seek out all there is to know about the subject.

2. Someone who likes anime – 50.4 percent

This one was bound to come up eventually. Survey participants were far more likely to think of an anime lover than a manga reader or gamer when picturing an otaku in their mind’s eye.

1. Someone obsessed with his or her hobby – 61.9 percent

The top response, though, showed that the most common image of an otaku had less to do with liking something, but more to do with not liking anything else. In the end, it doesn’t seem to matter if you’ve got a bookshelf of manga or line up overnight when a new video game console gets released, as long as those aren’t the only things that get you fired up.

So even if you’d rather not be called an otaku, if you feel like filling up your DVR with the newest anime or your SD card with photos of rare trains, go right ahead. Just make sure those aren’t the only things filling your calendar.

15. 穿有許多口袋的褲子 4.8％

這種多袋褲在日本還是很常見的，所以它能榜上有名著實讓人有點吃驚。不過當你要左手拿一個游戲機，右手拿一個高端智能機，還要預留一堆硬幣用于在動漫飾品販賣機上購買東西的時候，你就會發(fā)現(xiàn)多一些兜將物品分開裝真是極好的。

14. 流行人士 6％

在日本一些諸如看動漫，玩電子游戲等愛好逐漸成為主流，一個走在街上的帥哥或者是美女很可能就是御宅族，甚至有人覺得他們就是理想的約會對象。

13. 紙袋 13.7％

日本超市只為客戶提供塑料袋，但是動漫店一般都會把顧客買的商品放在厚厚的紙袋里，這樣就能確保這些商品在回家的路上不被劃傷弄彎。

12. 格子衫 13.9％

通常御宅族會將格子衫與多袋褲搭配在一起穿。

11. 頭巾 14.5％

當你在你的愛好中投入了全部的時間和精力，你就會發(fā)現(xiàn)找個時間去剪頭實在有些困難。所以這個時候頭巾的重要性就體現(xiàn)出來了，當然，如果這個頭巾印有你最喜歡的偶像歌手或者是聲優(yōu)的小名就更好了。

10. 越來越女性化 18.9％

對許多80后90后的人來說，御宅族就是男人的天下，但現(xiàn)在越來越多的動漫和電玩都設計成女性向的，這樣可以拉動女性人群的消費能力，這就意味著你將會在日本發(fā)現(xiàn)更多的宅女。

9. 背包 23.5％

生來兩只手，能力有限提不走。

8. 喜歡玩電玩的人 37.8％

現(xiàn)在越來越多的商品沒有明顯的定位特征，一個人物原型可以即在游戲領域上發(fā)售，也可以拍成動漫在動漫領域上發(fā)售，還可以畫成漫畫在漫畫領域上出售。在這三項當中游戲和御宅關系最疏遠。

7. 喜歡漫畫的人 38.8％

漫畫在御宅族3大愛好中排名第二。

6. 年輕氣盛 41.5％

至少有人不覺得作為一名御宅很羞愧。

5. 秋葉原 45.6％

秋葉原可是世界宅男的圣地，整片區(qū)域都彌漫著宅文化。以前Akiba(即秋葉原的小名，秋葉原讀作akihabara)是御宅族們的內部叫法，現(xiàn)在這個詞幾乎日本人都知道。

4. 活在自己的世界中 46.8％

不論是好(他們任何時候都有極高的熱情)還是壞(拒絕面對現(xiàn)實)，毫無疑問宅男都很擅長逃避現(xiàn)實生活。

3. 在某一領域了解很多的人 47.9％

許多宅男們都酷愛當今社會的流行元素。在日本，幾乎所有人每天都會使用電腦，在沒有看到由人氣偶像組合代言這個物品之前，你是不會下手去購買的。到底什么是御宅精神？就是在一個領域投入巨大精力和時間渴望了解到全部信息的一種精神。

2. 喜歡動漫的人 50.4％

該來的還是會來。在受試者腦海中，御宅更像動漫愛好者，而不是漫畫愛好者或者是游戲愛好者。

1. 沉迷于自己的愛好 61.9％

排名第一的回答顯示了：宅男形象的產(chǎn)生不是因為喜愛特定的一件事，而恰恰是因為除了這一件事之外對其他的事毫無感覺。你有一書柜的漫畫，或者是玩一宿剛發(fā)售的游戲都不要緊，只是別只做這兩件事就好。

如果你的真的很喜歡宅文化，但卻不想被稱為御宅族，那就在保持宅愛好的基礎上多涉獵一些別的項目吧。