There are many different types of otaku (obsessive fan) out there. There’s anime otaku, video game otaku, idol otaku- the list goes on. Even trains have otaku. A recent incident involved a group of train otaku who wanted to photograph a rare locomotive which caused delays for 13,000 commuters.

The name of this red train is Asuka (Reference to Evangelion’s Asuka? Maybe…). The train is reserved for tourists and has a unique feature: tatami flooring. No wonder the fans were going crazy.

The otaku got a bit too excited when Asuka arrived at the station. Some 50 of them even went on the tracks to take better pictures. This halted all trains on the affected lines. The otaku ignored requests for them to leave the tracks so police had to be involved to remove the crowd.

JR West (train company) has stated that they don’t mind the otaku crowding to take photographs of their trains but should be considerate and not block the lines.

The disturbances from the incident tallies as so:
-19 services suspended
-26 services delayed at least 40 minutes
-about 13,000 commuters affected

I’d be angry if I was one of those 13,000 commuters whose trains were delayed. I mean, I can understand the excitement these guys feel since I’m an otaku for many things myself but they should have been more respectful and follow the rules.

Source: Sankaku Complex