There’s a problem with a strange odor in the otaku community…

In June, posts about body odor problems have started to increase on social media. On June 2nd, the card shop “Card Paradise Ikebukuro Main Branch” in Ikebukuro, Tokyo posted a notice on X about body odor issues, titled “Very unfortunate news and request” (sic).

“Due to the hot weather, we are seeing some people in an unsanitary state, with clothes damp and body odor. In particular, some participants in recent tournaments have had a strong odor. Please come to the store in a clean state, such as by taking a bath and doing laundry every day. If there is no improvement, we may not be able to hold the tournament in the future,” (original text, same below), urging visitors to take care of their body odor.

There are constant problems with unpleasant odors in the card gaming community, but as the weather gets hotter this year, it seems to have reached a level that can no longer be ignored.

Last May, a card shop in Akihabara posted on X, “The temperature has suddenly risen and it’s getting warmer. As a result, we have noticed a small number of people coming to the store in unsanitary conditions. In particular, in the case of tournaments, you will be in the same space for a long time, so when you participate, please be sure to take a bath or other precautions and come to the store in a clean state.” In 2021, a woman who loved Pokemon cards revealed online how she retired from Pokemon cards because she couldn’t stand the smell in card shops. There are plenty of body odor stories to be told.

Odor problems have become commonplace in the otaku culture community, but with the rainy season, odors can also seep into everyday life. One odor that is particularly troubling many people right now is the smell on commuter trains.

On crowded trains, people naturally get closer to each other and you often can smell other people’s odors very clearly, and posts such as “Crowded trains + the humid train interior because it’s the rainy season + the humid and smelly train interior is so scary I don’t want to commute by train, I want to quit my job…”, “What I hate about commuting by train during the rainy season is that it’s the worst because it mixes with the smell of sweaty people and people wearing strong perfume”, and “As it’s getting warmer and the rainy season starts, trains become hellish. Everyone, I hope we’ll be more careful about our body odor and clothes…” are becoming more and more common on social media.