The adaptation of Japanese culture in the Ecuadorian Otaku community during the Bunka Taikai 2023 convention

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the adaptation of Japanese culture in the Ecuadorian Otaku community during the Bunka Taikai 2023 convention. Held in the city of Ambato. In addition, it seeks to detail the characteristics that are adopted from Japanese culture, as well as examine the development of said community in the country. Finally, the aim is to define what type of changes participants and spectators experience in their daily lives as a result of their experience at the convention. To carry out the study, the nonparticipant observation methodology was used. This involved observing participants who interacted with the audience and spectators who attended the convention. The selected population was young people between 18 and 25 years old, since they constituted the majority of attendees. To collect data, interviews and a field diary were used as techniques. A total of 10 spectators and 10 participants who attended the convention were interviewed, using a questionnaire composed of 12 qualitative questions. These questions allowed us to obtain detailed information about the opinions and perceptions of the interviewees in relation to the Otaku subculture and their participation in the convention. One of the most relevant findings was that traditional and digital media played a primary role in the dissemination of events and news related to the Otaku community. This has allowed us to demonstrate an interculturality, in which the acquisition, transformation and adaptation of Japanese culture in Ecuador is appreciated, thus creating its own subculture.