Otaku International

For those who have viewed the news item on Dannychoo about the lucky star matsuri, well there is a short clip of that event found, thanks to Japan Probe. For those who do not know what a Matsuri is, it is a Japanese festival(s) are traditional festive occasions. Some festivals have their roots in Chinese festivals but have undergone dramatic changes as they mixed with local customs. Some are so different that they do not even remotely resemble the original festival despite sharing the same name and date.

This particular festival was held at the Washinomiya Shrine in Saitama Prefecture, and Fuji TV filmed this report focusing on how the shrine has become popular after being used as a setting for the anime series Lucky Star. A testament to Otaku power, with the Lucky Star being a setting in this festival, it turned out that the attendance increased drastically (from 20,000 to 50,000) as Otakus (local and foreign) headed to this event. Even local businesses noticed an increase in sales, an average increase of 150% in business, possibly because some restaurants are cashing in by naming dishes after Lucky Star characters.

News Via: Japan Probe, Dannychoo