Arama They Didn't

TOKYO —

There are 130 sweaty “otaku” men in the basement of Ikebukuro’s Live Inn Rosa venue. Most wear shirts emblazoned with bright anime designs and bandanas on their brows to wipe away excess perspiration. Some women are peppered throughout the crowd, as are cosplayers and a few almost naked lads who have overheated from crazed dancing. High-pitched female vocals screech as an impossibly upbeat, saccharine tune blasts on the sound system, courtesy of three DJs dressed in full military regalia.   Welcome to Dempa Song Night, one of the growing number of club events catering to the otaku masses.

It’s no secret that otaku like to get jiggy with it. Just ask Morning Musume, whose fans have for years danced along with their idols. This mass mimicry came to a head at a February 2003 performance by Miki Fujimoto at Yomiuri Land amusement park. Fans went into a dance fever that was filmed and broadcast across Japan.  

That day was representative of otagei (aka the “otaku art”), a range of moves performed in rough unison with other fans at specified cheerleading moments in songs. These tracks tend to be of the “dempa,” or “electric wave,” variety: a mind-numbing candy pop that’s twice as addictive as heroin. The otagei dancing and chanting creates a synergy that invigorates the performer and her fans.  

As otagei gets more elaborate and popular, otaku no longer even need the idol as an excuse to bust a move. Sure, Dear Stage in Akihabara still has daily live-idol events for some hardcore fans. But Dempa Song Night takes place sans performer in a club where otaku can get their otagei on among likeminded fans.  

“This is the front line of otagei,” says organizer Takanori Yabe, 48.  

Yabe owns Kamikaze Style, a venerable custom bike and shirt shop in Shimokitazawa. He got into planning dempa events in March 2008, when one of his designers and resident otaku, Himekawa, revealed he was a closet DJ. The shop had a branch in Akihabara in 2006, when “otagei” was all the rage on the streets, so the events seemed like a natural fit.  

Sure, there were (and are) other events, like the one known as Mogura that’s held on the third Saturday of each month in Akihabara. But Dempa Song Night is the largest gathering where fans can enjoy uncut dempa songs. The all-night party also includes karaoke and performances by chika idols — “underground” performers who sing songs, provide narration and do dubbing for dating simulator games. What their cult lacks in size it makes up for in sheer intensity, as was the case when Toromi of Popotan fame took the stage at Dempa Song Night 6 in April.  

Watching their display, Yabe could only shake his head and describe the crowd as dempa-chan, or supercharged and eccentric folk. He confesses to knowing little about their world, but dreams of holding Dempa Night in Paris. Yet Himekawa is afraid to fly and dempa otaku tend to, as Yabe diplomatically puts it, “hole up” in Japan. But who knows? Maybe someday the sonic boom will make it to a basement near you.  

● Live Inn Rosa: B2F, 1-37-2 Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku. Nearest stn: Ikebukuro. www.live-inn-rosa.com

● Dear Stage: 3-10-9 Soto-Kanda, Chiyoda-ku. Tel: 03-5207-9181. Nearest stn: Akihabara.

● Kamikaze Style: 2-25-8 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku. Tel: 03-3481-6444. Nearest stn: Shimokitazawa. www.kamikazestyle.com

● Mogura: B1, 3-11 Akihabara, Taito-ku. Tel: 03-6206-8338. Nearest stn: Akihabara.

● The next Dempa Song Night will be held Dec 19 at Live Inn Rosa. Doors open at 11pm and the event goes until the morning. Tickets are 2,500 yen (including one drink). For more info, see www.kamikazestyle.com/newhp/denpa.htm (Japanese).

This story originally appeared in Metropolis magazine (www.metropolis.co.jp)

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• Tags:

• anime/animation
• idols
• manga
• video games