TAMANO, Okayama Prefecture--As a teenager, Ayako Kurita hid her love for manga and anime because “otaku” geeks were ridiculed at the time.

But after surviving a life-or-death situation during the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, Kurita decided to pursue what she cherishes most.

She opened a guesthouse dedicated to otaku culture, and it has become a popular destination among otaku fans from home and abroad.

“I could make my living doing what I like,” said Kurita, 37. “I’m sure anyone else could too.”

OTAKU PARADISE

Standing in front of the ferry boarding point at Uno Port here, the guesthouse Uoi was remodeled from a two-story wooden building built more than 100 years ago as Uoi Ryokan, a traditional inn and restaurant.

The lodging is filled with many features that otaku fans may find irresistible.

A wall just before the entrance is painted with manga backgrounds featuring sound effects such as “WRRR” and “VROOM,” making it a popular photo spot among visitors.

One guest room is lined with anime posters and stuffed toys, while another is equipped with throwing star-shaped ornaments and ninja costumes.

About 400 manga books, including those from the “Naruto” ninja manga series by Masashi Kishimoto, who hails from the prefecture, are available in one corner of the facility, with character figurines and other items decorating another.

There are also many areas in the building that retain the ambience of its bygone days as an inn and restaurant, including a transom decorated with Daikokuten, a deity of fortune and wealth, and a hanging scroll.

The guesthouse also attracts foreign tourists heading to Naoshima island, which is known as the home of contemporary art, and to places featured in anime and manga titles.

WAKE-UP CALL

Kurita, who was born in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture, started collecting manga and anime goods after she became hooked on the “Neon Genesis Evangelion” TV anime series when she was in elementary school.

She began enjoying wearing character costumes with friends when she was in junior high school.

Shortly after, however, her entire world was turned upside down when a friend tore up a drawing of a manga character she had created with another friend.

“At the time, otaku were not widely accepted and it was readily acceptable to despise them,” Kurita said.

She increasingly felt she didn’t want to openly tell her close circle of friends that she was an anime and manga geek.

After graduating from a vocational school in Ibaraki Prefecture, she floated between various jobs.

With no plans, she vaguely thought that she would be living in her neighborhood for the rest of her life.

Kurita was in her room on the second floor of an apartment complex in Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture, when the magnitude-9.0 earthquake struck in March 2011.

She experienced violent shaking that felt like it was bending the apartment building’s structure and pieces of furniture were left scattered around the room.

Kurita felt for the first time that her life was in danger.

With water, electricity and cellphone service unavailable, she was forced to take shelter in a nearby school gymnasium and camp out in a car.

Her anxiety was fueled by the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, and she started having trouble sleeping and experiencing other health-related problems as she saw quake-damaged buildings and broken roads.

Looking for a place where she could live at ease, Kurita relocated to Okayama in November that year because the prefectural capital was free of nuclear plants and had a mild climate. She also loved the atmosphere there.

She then moved into Tamano in 2013 after she was hired as a staff member of the Setouchi Triennale, an art festival held at Uno Port in the city and elsewhere around areas along the Seto Inland Sea.

‘RESPECT WHAT YOU LIKE’

A major turning point came when Kurita helped an acquaintance open a guesthouse.

Seeing how people gathered in one spot and enjoyed working together, she was inspired to open her own lodging.

But she thought about how her views on life and death were changed by the disaster, which made her want to spend the rest of her life pursuing what she loved most.

She dreamed of providing a place for otaku to be true to themselves and share their love for anime and manga, which became the concept for her establishment.

She rented a vacant inn and opened the guesthouse in March 2017, naming it Uoi after the original inn.

The hostel lost many customers due to the new coronavirus pandemic, but it is seeing a rebound with guests from home and abroad.

She finds herself smiling naturally when she talks to foreign tourists, including an Aussie self-made manga artist and a South American cosplayer.

She became so close with a German woman that they visit each other in their respective countries.

Kurita wants to tell young people who can’t bring themselves to be open about their interests and tastes that they should respect what they like.