Figure moe zoku (フィギュア萌え族) (literally "figure budding tribe", or, closer to the true meaning, "Action Figure Gang of Budding Fetishists") is a coinage made by Japanese journalist Akihiro Otani who claims "otaku" (or "Geeks)" are potential criminals, based on the 2004 Nara 1st grade girl's murder involving Kaede Ariyama. Look up doll in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Akihiro Otani , born July 8, 1945), a Japanese journalist with the Yomiuri Shimbun known for his political crusade in the Japanese mass media against otaku and his stake in the junior idol industry. ... Otaku ) is a derisive Japanese term used to refer to people with obsessive hobbies, most commonly manga, anime or hentai. ... The word geek has recently come to be used to refer to a person who is fascinated by knowledge and imagination, usually electronic or virtual in nature. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Otani also uses the term "moe zoku". Some otaku have begun to use the expression "moe zoku" in a self-mocking fashion based on his accusations. Moe or MOE may mean: Moé, an anime term used to describe an ideal girl Moe, one of the Three Stooges moe. ...

Japanese "Figure" culture

In Japan, the term "figure" can refer to figure skating or to dolls, statues, and other collectible figurines. Figures based on anime, manga and dating sim characters are often sold as dolls in Japan. Collecting them is a popular hobby amongst otaku. Figure skating is an ice skating sporting event where individuals, mixed couples, or groups perform spins, jumps, and other moves on the ice, often to music. ... The main cast of the anime Cowboy Bebop (1998) (L to R: Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Ed Tivrusky, Faye Valentine, and Ein the dog) For the oleo-resin, see Animé (oleo-resin). ... This article is about the comics published in East Asian countries. ... Dating simulations (dating sims) are a video game subgenre of simulation games, usually Japanese, with romantic elements. ... Otaku ) is a derisive Japanese term used to refer to people with obsessive hobbies, most commonly manga, anime or hentai. ...

Tsutomu Miyazaki and the beginnings of otaku-bashing

Following the 1988-1989 Tokyo-Saitama serial murders of four young girls, otaku were sometimes presented by the mass media as would-be sex offenders. The murderer, Tsutomu Miyazaki, was labelled by the mass media as an “otaku” following his arrest, leading to harsh criticism of the sub-culture from media outlets and politicians. A TBS reporter, covering that year's Comiket, (Japan’s largest anime/comic convention) described the crowd by saying "Look! 100,000 Tsutomu Miyazakis are here!", as Miyazaki had once been a regular attendee of the convention.   , literally Eastern capital) is a unique subnational administrative region of Japan with characteristics of both a prefecture and a city. ... Saitama Prefecture (埼玉県; Saitama-ken) is located on Honshu island, Japan. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Tokyo Broadcasting System, Incorporated ) (TYO: 9401 ) or TBS, is a television network in Tokyo, Japan. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

The Japanese mass media dubbed this "The day when society discovered otaku," and it was this famous report at Comiket that began the demonization of otaku in Japanese society. Due to a lack of understanding of Otaku, the Japanese mass media continued to bash Comiket as a breeding ground for future criminals, despite the fact that the event had already existed for 14 years and was meeting for the 36th time by that point, with no other offenses. In addition, it had been covered on television and other media in years past, without any suggestion of deviancy. Some of these earlier reports included interviews with figures like Osamu Tezuka. “Fiend” redirects here. ... This article is about the manga artist and animator. ...

Miyazaki was known primarily as a "video otaku," with a large collection of videocassettes. It is known, however, that Miyazaki's collection of over 6,000 videotapes included a number of pornographic films. The vast majority, though, consisted of recorded television programs. However, due to media coverage, it appeared that Miyazaki's entire collection consisted of violent sexual content.

In 2005, a person attached to the Yomiuri Shimbun confessed in his blog that there was some evidence-tampering in the Miyazaki case. According to the entry, most of Miyazaki's magazine collection were general interest men's magazines. A cameraman from a TV network allegedly put pornographic materials in with the rest of the magazines in order to get a scoop on the competition, causing Miyazaki to be framed as a sexual pervert. However, this blog entry was quickly deleted afterwards, casting doubt on its legitimacy. Regardless, the online otaku community was upset and confused by this news, and some are calling for the case to be reopened. Yomiuri-TOKYO Office Yomiuri-Osaka Office Yomiuri YC The Yomiuri Shimbun (読売新聞 Yomiuri Shinbun) is a Japanese newspaper published in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and other major Japanese cities. ...

2004 Takasaki 1st grade girl's murder and Figure-Otaku bashing

On March 11, 2004, in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, a first grade girl was killed by her neighbor. The murderer was reported to have lots of "dolls,” leading some media outlets to label him an otaku. NNN reported that his dolls were specifically Super Dollfies, without any further explanation or description. Volks, the manufacturer of Super Dollfie, protested this statement, leading NNN to apologize and correct the report. The damage was done, however, and figure-otaku quickly began being stereotyped as potential murderers. Gunma redirects here. ... Nippon News Network (NNN) is a commercial television news network in Japan. ... Super Dollfie is a ball-jointed doll (BJD) first manufactured by Volks, a Japanese doll company. ...

Otani, 2004 Nara 1st grade girl's murder and "Figure moe zoku"

On November 17, 2004, in Tomio, a suburb of Nara City, another first grade girl, named Kaede Ariyama, was abducted on her way home from school. The kidnapper sent the girl's parents a picture of her, along with the message "I have your daughter," using the child's camera phone. The girl's body was found later that night in Heguri, Ikoma District of Nara Prefecture. Nara ) is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Heguri (平群町; -cho) is a town located in Ikoma District, Nara, Japan known as Disc jockeytown. As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 20,420 and a density of 854. ... Ikoma (生駒郡; -gun) is a district located in Nara, Japan. ... Nara Prefecture ) is part of the Kinki region on HonshÅ« Island, Japan. ...

This event was widely reported on in Japan because of its shock value. Many non-professional "experts" served as media consultants in the case, making guesses about the murderer's personality. Some suggested that the killer was an otaku because he quickly disabled the phone's anti-kidnapping^{[citation needed]} function that would have allowed GPS tracking. Over fifty GPS satellites such as this NAVSTAR have been launched since 1978. ...

Otani, a journalist for the Yomiuri Shimbun, covered Osaka Prefecture's Criminal Investigation Division, which deals with serious crimes, like murder. Otani was highly regarded in the field, with his research skills considered to be almost equal to those of professional detectives. Otani was also a popular media figure, seen as a crusader for justice, a skilled speaker, and a defender of the common man. Otani suggested that the killer treated his victim like a doll, and as such, the killer might be a doll collector or figure otaku. He coined the term "Figure Moe Zoku" to identify this group, first using it on a morning news broadcast in November, 2004. Otaku immediately objected, suggesting that the spectre of earlier otaku-related murders colored his judgement. Yomiuri-TOKYO Office Yomiuri-Osaka Office Yomiuri YC The Yomiuri Shimbun (読売新聞 Yomiuri Shinbun) is a Japanese newspaper published in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and other major Japanese cities. ... Osaka Prefecture (大阪府 Ōsaka-fu) is part of the Kinki region on Honshu island, Japan. ...

Otani also writes fiction, and one of his stories was published as a manga in 1997. In the story, an individual becomes obsessed with a dating sim after repeated play, and kidnaps the actress who plays the game's love interest, in the hopes that she will love him just as she does in the video game. Otani essentially suggests that while dating games can be fun, they can also become dangerous if players get too attached to them. The events presented in the manga were purely fictional, but some otaku feel persecuted by them nonetheless. This article is about the comics published in East Asian countries. ...

Recent Otaku-bashing

On December 30, 2004, an alleged sexual pervert living in Kawai Town, Kitakatsuragi District, Nara Prefecture was arrested. Kawai (河合町; -cho) is a town located in Kitakatsuragi District, Nara, Japan. ... Kitakatsuragi (北葛城郡; -gun) is a district located in Nara Prefecture, Japan. ...

This individual did not collect dolls nor did he have a computer, much less play the questionable games. After this, it seems that the credibility and influence Otani had previously exerted against otakus began to wear off.

However, Otani continued bashing otakus as if they were the ones who had performed the crime. During an ANN special broadcast on the morning that the aforementioned suspect was arrested, Otani commented that the suspect was a "Figure Otaku", contradicting the police report that the offender had no such items. All-Nippon News Network ), or ANN, is a commercial television news network in Japan run by TV Asahi Corporation. ...

Otani is opposed to a Japanese version of Megan's Law. Instead, Otani suggests that the government should restrict otaku hobbies either through legal action, or by increasing the social stigma of such acts. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

In January 4, 2005, he denounced otakus in a newspaper column in response to those who have protested against him and his comments. Many otaku feel that Otani is using them as a scapegoat to further his political career. The Scapegoat by William Holman Hunt, 1854. ...

Otani claims that a popular otaku hobby is "child pornography", encouraging pedophiles to indulge in otaku culture and possibly encouraging otaku to engage in acts of pedophilia. Child pornography refers to pornographic material depicting children. ...

In a January 13, 2005 interview on ABC, Otani said "Throw [those who complain about me] in prison and castrate them. Japanese society can do that!". This statement angered many otaku, with some claiming that it was tantamount to hate speech. So far, neither ABC nor Otani have apologized for the comments. Asahi Broadcasting Corporation (朝日放送株式会社, Asahi-hōsō kabushiki Gaisha) is a Japanese broadcasting station in Osaka. ... Hate speech is a controversial term for speech intended to degrade, intimidate, or incite violence or prejudicial action against a person or group of people based on their race, gender, age, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, language ability, moral or political views, socioeconomic class, occupation or appearance...

Otani appealed in the mass media for the restriction of otaku's hobbies. Otakus protested this, resulting in Otani being dismissed from the ABC program where he had first put forward his theory. However, Otani continues to insist upon his theory every time a similar event occurrs.

In 2005, two more first grade girls were kidnapped and killed in Japan. One (Airi Kinoshita) was killed by a foreigner with a past record of sex crimes, who was not an otaku. The other killer remains at large. Airi Kinoshita , April 10, 1998 - November 22, 2005), a seven year old first-grade student from the Japanese city of Hiroshima, was sexually assaulted and murdered by Juan Carlos Pizarro Yagi in November 2005. ...

Otani and others continue to blame otakus and otaku culture for the crimes, despite a lack of evidence of their involvement.

See also

• Jack Thompson
• 2004 Nara 1st grade girl's murder
• Yellow journalism
• Witch-hunt
• Game nou
• Otaku
• Moe (slang)
• Zoku
• Moral panic