, also known as , refers to a type of dancing and cheering gestures performed by wota, fans of Japanese idol singers (and thus seen as

Akiba-kei or is a Japanese slang term for Akihabara style. Akihabara is a district in Chiyoda, Tokyo where many otaku, or obsessive anime, manga, idol, and video game fans gather. Definition ''Akiba-kei'' is a Japanese slang term meaning "Akihabara ...

), involving jumping, clapping, arm-waving and chanting slogans. Wotagei is performed at concerts, or at events such as

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

and

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

conventions and meetings of idol fan groups, and it is thought to have developed from the

ōendan An , literally "cheering squad" or "cheering section", is a Japanese sports rallying team similar in purpose to a cheerleading squad in the United States, but relies more on making a lot of noise with taiko drums, blowing horns and other items ...

, organised cheering squads common at sporting events in Japan. Wotagei is particularly associated with fans of

Hello! Project is a Japanese musical collective consisting of all female recording artists and groups under Up-Front Promotion, a subsidiary of Up-Front Group. The name was initially used as Michiyo Heike and Morning Musume's fan club name in 1999, but has s ...

and

AKB48 AKB48 (pronounced ''A.K.B. Forty-Eight'') is a Japanese idol girl group named after the Akihabara (''Akiba'' for short) area in Tokyo, where the group's theater is located. AKB48's producer, Yasushi Akimoto, wanted to form a girl group with it ...

idols, as well as fans of

and game

voice actresses Voice acting is the art of performing voice-overs to present a character or provide information to an audience. Performers are called voice actors/actresses, voice artists, dubbing artists, voice talent, voice-over artists, or voice-over talent ...

(

seiyuu Voice acting in Japan is an industry where actors provide voice-overs as characters or narrators in media including anime, video games, audio dramas, commercials, and dubbing for non-Japanese films and television programs. In Japan, and a ...

), who often perform

theme song Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at so ...

s for the series in which they appear.

Chants

There are specific actions associated with "wotagei", such as physical poses and chants (shout or yell).

Cheers

The "Call" is commonly used shout or yell :* "urya" and "oi"

Mixing

The most commonly used chant is known as the mix, which follows a set rhythm and is typically shouted during the introduction and instrumental breaks of an idol's song. However, it is generally considered improper to use it during a slow or emotional song. The mix is universal and is not associated with a specific idol group. It consists of three main variations: the Standard Mix, the Japanese Mix, and the

Ainu Ainu or Aynu may refer to: *Ainu people, an East Asian ethnic group of Japan and the Russian Far East *Ainu languages, a family of languages **Ainu language of Hokkaido **Kuril Ainu language, extinct language of the Kuril Islands **Sakhalin Ainu la ...

Mix. Some idols also have their own specific versions of the Mix unique to them. * Standard Mix The Standard Mix is the most commonly used mix of the three, and is also known as the First Mix as it is typically heard during the introduction of the song. In English, it follows the order below.
"Tiger, Fire, Cyber, Fiber, Diver, Viber, Jyaa jyaa!!"
"タイガー、ファイヤー、サイバー、ファイバー、ダイバー、バイバー、ジャージャー"　(''"Taigā, Faiyā, Saibā, Faibā, Daibā, Baibā, Jā jā!!"'') This mix is used by

fans. *Japanese Mix The Japanese Mix is the translated Standard Mix, and is typically heard at the end of the first instrumental break, leading into the second verse of the song. Due to this, the Japanese Mix is sometimes referred to as the Second Mix.
"虎、火、人造、繊維、海女、振動、化繊飛除去"
"トラ、ヒ、ジンゾウ、センイ、アマ、シンドウ、カセントビジョキョ"　("''Tora, Hi, Jinzō, Sen'i, Ama, Shindou, Kasentobijokyo!!''")
Oftentimes, "''Kasentobijokyo''" is abbreviated to "''Kasen''." This is also used by

fans as well.
*Ainu Mix The Ainu Mix is another translated version of the mix. It is also known as the Third Mix, but is only used when there is a third instrumental in the song.
"チャペ、アペ、カラ、キナ、ララ、トゥスケ、ミョーホントゥスケ"　("''Chape, Ape, Kara, Kina, Rara, Tusuke, Myōhontusuke!!''")

Performance

Wotagei is performed with a

glow stick A glow stick, also known as a light stick, chem light, light wand, light rod, and rave light, is a self-contained, short-term light-source. It consists of a translucent plastic tube containing isolated substances that, when combined, make light ...

. Here are some common dances in wotagei: * Tiger * Romance *

Kecak ''Kecak'' (pronounced ("kechak"), alternate spellings: ''kechak'' and ''ketjak''), known in Indonesian as ''tari kecakilolahhe'', is a form of Balinese Hindu dance and music drama that was developed in the 1930s in Bali, Indonesia. Since its ...

* Thunder Snake

References

External links

"Wota lota love"
by Eric Prideaux, ''

The Japan Times ''The Japan Times'' is Japan's largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper. It is published by , a subsidiary of News2u Holdings, Inc.. It is headquartered in the in Kioicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo. History ''The Japan Times'' was launched by ...

'', January 16, 2005.
"J-Pop's dream factory"
by Chris Campion, ''

Observer Music Monthly ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...

'', August 21, 2005.
"¿Qué es el wotagei?"
Wota.tv, October 23, 2006.
"Wotagei & Chant guide"
by Turbos86, May 11, 2009 Anime and manga terminology Society of Japan Japanese subcultures Japanese popular culture {{Japan-culture-stub