Dōjin

In Japan, is a group of people who share an interest, activity, or hobby. The word is sometimes translated into English as "clique", "fandom", "coterie", "society", or "circle" (as in "sewing circle"). Self-published creative works produced by these groups are also called ''doujin'', including manga, magazines, novels, music ( ''doujin'' music), anime, and video games ( ''doujin'' soft). Print ''doujin'' works are collectively called ''doujinshi''.

''Doujin'' works are typically amateur and derivative in nature, though some professional artists participate in ''doujin'' culture as a way to publish material outside the regular publishing industry.

Annual research by the research agency Media Create indicated that of the US$1.65 billion of the otaku industry in 2007, ''doujin'' sales made up 48% (US$792 million).

Literary societies

Literary circles first appeared in the Meiji period when groups of like-minded ''waka'' writers, poets and novelists met and published literary magazines (many of which are still publishing today). Many modern writers in Japan came from these literary circles. One famous example is Ozaki Koyo, who led the Kenyusha society of literary writers that first published collected works in magazine form in 1885.

Manga circles

After World War II, manga ''doujin'' started to appear in Japan. Manga artists like Shotaro Ishinomori (''Kamen Rider'', ''Cyborg 009'') and Fujio Fujiko (''Doraemon'') formed ''doujin'' groups such as Fujiko's . At this time, ''doujin'' groups were used by artists to make a professional debut. This changed in the coming decades with ''doujin'' groups forming as school clubs and the like. This culminated in 1975 with Comiket in Tokyo.

Today

Avid fans of ''doujin'' attend regular ''doujin'' conventions, the largest of which is called Comiket (a portmanteau. Here, over of ''doujin'' materials are bought, sold, and traded by attendees. ''Doujin'' creators who base their materials on other creators' works normally publish in small numbers to maintain a low profile from litigation. This makes a talented creator's or circle's products a coveted commodity as only the fast or the lucky will be able to get them before they sell out.

Over the last decade, the practice of creating ''doujin'' has expanded significantly, attracting thousands of creators and fans alike. Advances in personal publishing technology have also fueled this expansion by making it easier for ''doujin'' creators to write, draw, promote, publish, and distribute their works.

Western perception

In Western cultures, ''doujin'' are often perceived to be derivative of existing work, analogous to fan fiction. To an extent, this is true: many ''doujin'' are based on popular manga, anime, or video game series. However, many ''doujin'' consisting of original content also exist. Among the numerous ''doujin'' categories, are the ones getting the most exposure outside Japan, as well as within Japan, where ''doujinshi'' are by tradition the most popular and numerous ''doujin'' products.

Types

* ''Doujinshi'': Printed works such as comics, novels, and magazines.
* : games, software
* : music
* , is a form of ''doujin'' which is sexually explicit in nature.

Notes

External links

The Doujinshi & Manga Lexicon
: user-submitted database of ''doujinshi'' artists/circles/books, including name translations

{{DEFAULTSORT:Doujin

Self-publishing
Japanese words and phrases