ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the supposed rise in Japanese nationalism and its relationship to online otaku (commonly understood as fans of anime and manga) activity, and the otaku's relationship to the Japanese government's Cool Japan and soft power efforts. Otaku culture has influenced views of Japan and the complexities of how those outside of Japan understand Japanese nationalism. Through comparative analysis of various resources and scholarship by Japanese and non-Japanese scholars, and of views of Japan's nationalism and right-wing conservatism based on otaku culture and popular culture, the chapter highlights issues that arise from attaching right-wing nationalism to Japanese identities or using popular culture as a means of describing Japanese nationalism. The development of online communication, especially forums like 2channel, shifted understanding of otaku identity and impacted global views of Japan. Lastly, this chapter considers how otaku and popular culture have supposedly popularised the nationalist consciousness, as well as the complexity of otaku culture's relationship to nationalism and other related topics in Japan.
