THE OTAKU GIRL ROOMS by Shiori Kawamoto

Apr 9

Written by Gill Princen

Over 10 years ago, in 2012, photographer Shiori Kawamoto stumbled upon a world unknown to him until then: Daraku Rooms, roughly translating to fallen rooms or depravity rooms.

The Daraku rooms, found in dormitories, are characterized by their messy appearance, creating an overload of anime and pop-culture references in all forms. Think posters, flags, waifu pillows, figures, customized gaming consoles, clothing, the list goes on, binding them together under the term Otaku Girls.

Intrigued by the phenomenon, Kawamoto organized photo shoots in the rooms, capturing the ladies in their daily overstimulating habitat. This led to his first book titled “Daraku Room”, where Kawamoto showcases 50 individuals and their rooms. Some time later he released “Onago Room”, building on the same concept but this time Kawamoto photographed women from all kinds of professional backgrounds in their home.