A 電車おたく or 鉄道おたくis someone who is extremely enthusiastic about trains, often to the point of knowing numerous statistics and models such as top speed, maximum number of passengers, and the best place to take train pictures. Frequently 鉄道おたく gather at specific locations to take pictures of trains, either to keep, or to exchange with other otaku on otaku message boards like 2ch, pronounced にーちゃんねる.
鉄道, translating to "railway" is composed of the Kanji 鉄 (てつ) meaning "iron," and 道 (どう) meaning "way."
鉄 is the same kanji used to refer to iron content within the body, so a 鉄道おたくmight joke like "I have an iron deficiency because I haven't ridden a train for two weeks."
鉄道おたくare not solely found in Japan, and are called by different names in other countries. Some such names include "railway buff," "railfan," and "trainspotter" in countries such as Australia, America, and England.
Another example of a 鉄道おたくin another country who saw some internet fame is Jay Tan, a self-professed 鉄道おたく from Singapore. In 2011 upon the opening of the Circle Line, Jay Tan was one of the few individuals taking the first ride on the train early that Saturday morning. He was interviewed, and the video gained quite a bit of popularity on the internet.
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| "I am too excited, could not sleep last night. I want to board the first train." |
Though not Japanese, Jay Tan is a prime example of a 鉄道おたく!
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