It can be hard for an otaku to find love.
Enter “Otapa,” short for otaku party, a matchmaking event that takes place in major Japanese cities.
The otaku matchmaking parties, which are limited to otaku (participants must take a test to determine their otaku level on the official website) cost ¥8,000 (about $71) for men and ¥2,500 ($22) for women.
Before the event, participants fill out a list of their favorite anime and video games, which they show to potential partners to help spark conversation.
Otapa was created by Hiro Takeuchi, 38, himself a fan of anime and manga. The Asahi Shinbun quoted Takeuchi as saying, “otaku don’t really have a nice way to meet each other romantically, and I wanted to help.”
The matchmaking parties were initially just twice a month in Osaka, but have expanded in popularity, and are now held several times a month in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya.
Back in February, a similar service, an otaku marriage consulting firm, opened in Akihabara.
Would you participate in a event like this where you live?
Source: Asahi