Otaku world - [engineering dispatches]

Japanese youth are famed for their love of technology and fantasy imagery, but the rise of Otaku culture developing into an unhealthy obsession could hamper Japan's high-tech economy. The youths were drawn to Electric Town, with its lure of exotic consumer electronic goods, in the early 1990s. Today, many stores now cater exclusively to their tastes. These young people have had a huge impact on the business model of the large electronics companies. Yet there is a downside to the rise of Otaku culture. The number of young men who snub the workaholic corporate lifestyle is increasing and the number of salary men is in decline, which is threatening the foundation of Japan's economic post-war prosperity.