I interviewed M-kun whom I met through kendo (Japanese fencing). He is a member of the high school kendo club. We played kendo together several times and I noticed that he liked anime and kendo at the same time. When I asked him if he just liked anime if he was an otaku (nerd), he clearly said he was an otaku. That's why I interviewed him because I was wondering if there were any connections between anime and kendo. Analyzing his interview, I found three interesting connections between anime and kendo. They are a cool image of Japanese culture based on anime, the unconscious practice of cosplay through kendo, and the dynamic change of identity from an otaku to a sportsman. According to M-kun, he started playing kendo when he was a high school student because he was an otaku. Before he started kendo, he did almost nothing related to traditional Japanese culture. Even when he did, he never felt committed to it. On the other hand, he watched a lot of anime which gave him cool images of Japanese culture. For example, he watched Gintama, Bleach, Inuyasha and Naruto. Among these animated series, he preferred Gintama and collected all the mangas. He wishes he could be like Gin-san, the main character of Gintama, because he is cool and liked by many people in the anime. In the interview, M-kun said, “I didn't have as many friends as Gin-san. The only friends I had at the time were those who also liked anime and were shy. I wish I could be a cool guy like him who has a samurai heart. After watching these anime series, he became interested in traditional Japanese culture even though he had never felt close to it. At the time, he entered a high school and must have been Middle of paper...... ms that otaku are more heavily influenced because their passion for anime can help keep up with the difficulty of kendo. This behavior pattern is similar to that of a cosplayer. Ironically, an otaku must abandon their identity as an otaku to enjoy kendo alone. Experiencing kendo gives otaku the confidence to be part of a larger community. Works Cited Lam, Peng Ur (2007) “Japan's Quest 'Soft Power': Attraction and Limitation. » East Asia 24: 349-363. Freedman, Alisa (2009) "Train Man and the Gender Politics of Japanese 'Otaku' Culture: The Rise of New Media, Nerd Heroes, and Consumer Communities." » Intersections: Gender and Sexuality in Asia and the Pacific, Issue 20, April 2009. http://intersections.anu.edu.au/issue20/freedman.htm Winge, Theresa (2006) “Costuming the Imagination: Origins of Anime and Manga Cosplay. Mechademia (1): 65-76.