I have seen it while watching Akihabara @ Deep! It's pretty crazy how they lure the otakus easily. Guess I'll have to be careful myself when I did visit Akihabara. Maybe grab a Lightsaber or BB Gun to fire at those hunters ^^;
The trick to not get mugged while traveling is always walking in groups, it seems these guys are chickens and go for the weak guys as he says like most Otakus won't fight back. Still I don't get how such a high-tech society like Japan is and people don't walk around with credit cards, here almost everyone has one or even two or more depends on how many bank accounts you possess. Still here there is a difference, we call credit cards to those cards that the bank gives you an extra amount to spend then you'll have to pay it later in other words it's the banks money, only people with somewhat good month payment has them. Normal people have what we call Cartao Multibanco, its a card that you go to a bank machine and take your money or go to a shop and buy stuff with your "magnetic band " plastic card" lol freaking great (I have two of them ^^). But its not that simple when you go to another country that uses different "coins" and you try to use these machines you always need to pay a tax because of the money difference exchange. So when I travel I always walk with money of course not to much since we disperse the money with the group, let them try and take the money from 4 or 5 guys with a knife they won't know what hit them ^^
I hope that does'nt happen to me when I go to Japan for a holidy (which is somewhere near). Then again, I'm not a Otaku... hell' they catch me in a alley, I'll be bursting out laughing haha. Always laugh when things like that happens to me... it normally confuses the attacker too..and me @_@
That's actually pretty scary. I went to Akihabara a year ago and I thought it was perfectly safe then. *shudders*. Oh and to answer your poll question, I live in the safest city in the US. So no.
Good thing I don't look like a weakling. I workout 6 days a week and besides, I don't carry more than $20 in my wallet. I charge most of my purchases unless it's for food.
You'd have to be a pretty dumb to get caught by scum like that. Luckily I've never been mugged in my life, could be because of my build though I'm very tall & stocky. A kid called me a giant once. ^^;
I live in California. In the San Francisco Bay Area. There is a whole bunch of crime hear. The dealings of Akihabara seem almost insignificant compared to around hear. Although it is still a shame that this happens. That "hunter" in the interview has a problem.
nice info, i'm going to japan on august, I'll be careful. it's sad to hear that most of them don't accept credit card.
Five years ago, credit cards were still relatively rare, but this has largely changed by now. Many businesses, including Gamers, *DO* accept credit card nowadays, but the take-up rate by people is still pretty low. Credit cards seem to be more a thing to use on overseas trips and for online purchases. People in everyday life don't seem to use them much yet. I think it's to do with the hassle of having to swipe a card, sign a slip of paper, etc. It slows down the queues somewhat, and people are wary of inconveniencing others. Far more frequently used are the Suica/Edy cash IC cards that you can just swipe across the reader at the cash register to pay for your purchases...
er...wat? otakus are like cockroaches? DAMn him, he is the cockroach himself...otakus are friendly ppl going after things they like LEGALLY while those cockroaches are doing it ILLEGALLY!! RATS and cockroaches to them! :P
I just hate that kind of guy who boasts about himself, doing criminal stuff. He deserves to be stoned (and not high). I don't carry much cash either on myself. Here we go with the general mental image that otakus are weak physically and unable to counterattack when threatened... I would have never thought that those kinds of criminal activity would exist. After the pantsu thief, the mugger. Certain places of Japan aren't safe anymore?
When I make it out to Akihabara I almost hope one of these otaku hunters tries to pull a fast one on me so I can show them how we do over here. Most muggers don't really want to hurt or kill anyone. If you throw down, chances are they will just run off and look for an easy target. What kind of losers would only rob otaku. That like stealing candy from a baby or something like that.
Sorry to say, but I'm a huge, huge Otaku. In that my muscles bulge out more so than any type of fat. I don't think it'll only inconvenience a thief. More like they'd get curbstomped by me instead. Funny because I was mugged once in the past. I seriously doubt that'll ever happen to a bunch of people aiming for fat, smelly, unwieldy, streotypical Otaku. Sorry to say, Otakuhunters..
The place I live has a highly developed debit card system (I'm pretty sure that Cartao Multibanco mentioned by CrazyAnimeTuga is the same thing). Most stores and many restaurants accept debit so I'm never really in a pinch if I forget to bring cash. It's quite convenient since I don't have to deal with pesky change or worry about paying off my balances like credit cards. I read in another japan blog that many stores accept Suica as cash but I guess not enough do. Kinda surprised by the Otaku Hunting problem but not worried for my visit to Akiba next month since I dont dress like otaku, I'm above average height and I work out.
That hunter seemed to really contradict himself seeing as he robs Otaku yet calls them roaches. He sounds more like a bully than some savior of the people... -_- He's sounds more like the roach. Luckyily for me, I've taken martial arts so I can go to those places without problem with those bullies er I mean hunters.
Sometimes muggers can be bad news, but this guy is just a young punk. He's just crying out for someone to kick the you know what out of him. Probably stare him down and he would go hide in the alley. Yes I know that sounds cocky of me. I'm assuming that those of us here living in large cities probably grew up in them as well. We've all learned that one's best defense it not to look like a target. Unfortunately, some of the otaku that I've seen in Japan just scream target.
All Im going to say is I wish they would try to rob me when I come to Tokyo and but my anime goddies. They may think its going to be a robbery and turn into a stright ass wumping on my behave!!!
I get it a lot around my store. I try not to bring as much but sometimes i worry how much i should carry. If it comes to worse, just run really fast or take out your key and whoop ass.
I live in a college surrounded by homeless people, less than 10 miles from Downtown LA, and pretty much near Beverly Hills. Yeah, there are muggings.
lolz @ Dragon Quest statement. from that he thinks like an otaku heard of the rampant Otaku Hunting before and to think that Akiba was once a safe place to buy some otaku stuff i'll remember to bring some self-defence weapons like a tazer or some pepper spray just in-case i get mugged when buying stuff in Akiba Otaku = cockroaches? does that mean we'll survive for a million years even after a nuclear explosion? :3 hehehehe
Generally speaking, in a rural/suburban environment no, your chances of being mugged are low around here. Head to any large city such as Philadelphia or Baltimore,and you are asking to be potentially mugged. It doesn't happen like the plague, but it IS out there. Our area is very safe; I never go out on the roads without seeing a police cruiser patrolling, it makes me feel safe. I use plastic instead of carrying around loads of money: I made a wise choice the other day to deposit nearly $1000 USD instead of carrying it around all day. In terms of build, I would not be a prime target ^^. To the gushing point of blood I would fight back and not make it easy.
Something like this doesn't surprise me very much. Though when I went, I was with friends so we didn't come across anything like that. Though most people don't watch their backs, I have a tendency to do this wherever I go. Just a force of habit since I'm not exactly big.
Singapore is pretty safe as over here it is a cashless society. Most of us do not carry large amount of cash since we make majority of our payment using ATM card for costly items.
The Otaku Hunter they interviewed must have a severe case of low self-esteem to regard otaku as such inferior beings. I suppose getting money from them and skillfully avoiding the police boost his self perception. He's actually justifying his deeds with the physical traits of otaku? That's far more disgusting than any of the reasons he had listed.
"Its just like Dragon Quest where you beat the monster and take the gold." LOL! Too bad to see stuff like this happening in one of the safest countries in the world, but from a muggers view, it makes perfect sense. If there was an Akiba in the UK, this would have been happening many, many years ago.
Hrm, well, in South Africa muggings must happen every few seconds if you're in the wrong place at the wrong time. =( Can't say it's ever happened to me, but I'm not exactly someone who wanders around town a lot. ~-~
Didn't think this stuff actually happened when i saw the first episode of Akihabara@Deep but now i can see it does. To think that these guys prey on Otaku because they have certain hobby's they dont agree with.Going to Tokyo in August and while in Akihabara,if an Otaku Hunter comes up to me i'll be sure to tatakai him XD
i was in japan just last month in May for a few weeks during golden week. Was in Tokyo, Akiba for a few day, wandering all over the place aimlessly carrying a good amount of cash to get me some stuff. but didn't see anything dodgy or dangerous while i was there except for the crazy guy playing the drums at the arcade :) very fun, loads of dodgy store ^_^;
It certainly makes you think about things when such a subject arises. Thankyou for posting it, atleast i can be aware when i go in August ^_^
The Dragon Quest comment was pretty funny. I also live in the Bay Area and the crime rate is terribly high here. I rarely go out into the city, especially at night.
I was mugged when i was in 3rd grade elementary school. But now, since i'm quite big (i'm so thin when i was in elementary school), no one ever messing around with me anymore, may be because i always wear "non fancy" clothes and didn't care about "new fashion style" or whatever they call it. I mean i still carry my ripped off (i fill it with thick college books and use it to smash a pick pocket head in train when he try to run away with my bag along @_@)) when i go out. May be bad guys think "this guy don't have load of money", ehehehehehe...
When I was in my teens and still living in Singapore, I got flashed at before under my apartment block at the lift area (ugh). And you think Singapore is supposedly a safe country :P I was so pissed off I gave chase for a short bit and couldn't bring myself to call for help just in case the passer-bys were accomplices :P Unfortunately the flasher was not caught and when I went to make a police report I was made to feel like a criminal instead (shudder)... And I'll be careful when I go to Aki :P thanks for the warning!
In my area crime rate is getting higher, they don't use only knives these days...Like I said to the police commander in my area if someone tries to hurt me or my family I'll just have to brake their arms and call you guys later XD...Now with guns it's different, it's better not to fightback specially with amateurs, one can be strong but in life one doesn't have a second chance... People don't mess with me even if they are in groups. Like my father says "you just need to hurt them a lot in the first punch or kick" my old guy was in the MP and with him I learned to use anything to defend myself and the ones I love. Anyway to the guys/gals that aren't strong enough is better not to resist and go to the police. It's only money after all...Like a funny friend of mine says "it's better to be a living coward than a dead hero" XD...I don't agree but his words make me laugh a lot.
in hk you get some money hunters tat steal ur stuff especially in a place called mong kok in hk
My opinion is that it's the Otaku hunters that are the cockroaches, goddamned. They are still thiefs none the less, so they should be arrested. If it's really becoming a sport, then I think it's okay to have a bit more police in the streets there. But I wouldn't like to get searched though. P.S.: yeah, Gamers is also one of my favorite shops ;p Also like Animate a bit further down Chuo Dori.
That so reminds me of Akihabara@Deep. It just feels so strange that in such a modern society like Japan, people dun use credit cards. I'm sure your darth vadar or stormtrooper suit is mean lookinng enough to prevent you from getting mugged.
Around here people get mugged as well. The crime rate is getting higher, sigh. There must be something wrong with otaku hunter. I guess it they do it cause they reckon got an easy prey.
it dangerous to mug ppl here, why? because when the mugged realize he/she been mugged he/she scream "maling!!!!!!!"(thief/muggers)" which many ppl will gather and kill the muggers 'not intendedly' if he/she got caught. yep, stupid brute law in my own country and in other case... otaku rarely borrow a lot of money as there are rarely any store here and in the worst case they rather kill you and take it than mug, so if any of you intended to go here and got caught by black mailers just give what they want, run and squeaaalll
Hmm... I've thought of something. "The arm-around-shoulder is supposed to make them look like friends. He then says "can you lend me some money?"" At this precise moment... "Boom!" A good elbow blow in the gut or face and all is set.
What if you knew a martial art like Aikido? You won't have to worry about this guy then since you look like you have a good build, Danny. And I'm sure he won't mug someone trekking around in a Darth Vader/Storm Trooper suit because it's too attention catching. Who knows... Your gun could be a lethal airgun or your light saber can do some real damage! That aside, I read you can actually pay by mobile phone over there now such as in McDonalds... I guess the Otaku shops don't support it!
Well, muggings and hold-ups are pretty common in most urban areas, so I guess it's not a problem that'll be easily solved. lol at the ice cream in post box thing though; I never read that yet.
It's rather sad that otakus get pick on just because they are mostly stereotype as being weak. Some even get discriminated. Wonder what happen if the otakus group themselves up to help help other whom being rob? :)
I think someone might get a surprise with some otaku. Being 2m & 120 kilos tends to scare people off . . . .
hmmm well the only mugging that you can find in Singapore is the mugging for exams. And in Singapore there's not reallie a district or street that can be an otaku haven, oh well i guess the govvernment does not allow it anyway even if there were to have one.Dark ages of anime history in Singapore currently.
did this guy say something about dragon quest and he hates otakus? so he's a nerd that hates otakus then?
Re interview: If I was the person who did that interview I'd so give away his identity & location to the police. Why protect the criminals?
This is interesting; however, looking at the rest of the web site content does make me wonder regarding the reliability of this information.
interestingly enough, i just read a similar post a kotaku regarding the crime rate going in akihabara from the yomiuri shinbun. that interview is hilarious.
I live just down the road from Hackney, so I suppose by default I must answer yes!
Woah! 8 floors? Sweet! When I get to japan I'll be visiting that place first. heheh!
Wow, I never knew... While I was in Akiba I was always witha friend, so I guess I was pretty safe... not that I'll just hand my money over, I RATHER GET INJURED THAN NOT BE ABLE TO BUY MY FIGURES~!
Wow. I had heard about this, but this guy takes the cake. Not that I've ever been in any 'official' fights when I lived in Japan... >.> But if someone pulled that on me, I'd try the 'gaijin defense' (since I look Japanese to some), and when that didn't work, kick the dude in the groin. I'm not advocating violence, but man, otaku/geeks/etc. everywhere need to stand up for themselves. 'like cockroaches' really annoyed me. >.
When I go to Akiba next yar, I'll be sure to watch out for those shady guys...
