Editors: gestalten & Irwin Wong
Features: Full color, hardcover, stitch bound, 240 pages
Format: 21 × 26 cm, 8 ¼  × 10 ¼ inches
Price: € 39.90 (D)  £ 35  $ 60 (US)
ISBN: 978-3-96704-008-1

@gestalten #gestaltenbooks

EU + UK PUBLICATION DATE: February 24, 2022 
INT PUBLICATION DATE: MAY 3, 2022
EMBARGO DATE TO USE IMAGERY AND PRESS AND RELEASE: February 3, 2022
Please ask for permission first if you would like to review the book before the official embargo date. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

The otaku’s passion is all-consuming. Whether it be cosplay, gothic, or rockabilly, when the Japanese embrace a subculture, they do it like no other. From Lolita fashion and latex couture to neon-drenched big-rigs, anime-plastered vans, and chrome-heavy hot rods, subcultures in Japan are as varied as they are fascinating. Delving into these worlds, The Obsessed reveals the extraordinary passion devotees have for their hobbies and lifestyles. With dazzling photography, on-the-ground interviews, and cultural essays, this book showcases a kaleidoscope of scenes and individuals drawn from Japan’s many countercultural groups. Complete with texts profiling a diverse range of otaku and followers of other subcultures alongside features contextualizing their place within Japanese society and global popular culture, The Obsessed opens the pages to this over-the-wall discovery of Japanese subcultures and the people that dedicate their lives to it.

ABOUT THE CO-EDITOR
IRWIN WONG is an editorial and commercial photographer based in Tokyo. Originally from Melbourne, Australia, he moved to Japan in 2005. Known for his punchy portraiture and insightful documentary photography, Wong's client list is truly international with names such as Amazon, Nike, The Washington Post, Carl Zeiss, Forbes, Shiseido, Mitsubishi Motors, and more. In 2020, he made his gestalten debut after co-editing Handmade in Japan.

ABOUT gestalten
gestalten is an international publishing house collaborating and engaging with the world’s most interesting creatives to document and anticipate vital movements in architecture and interiors, design and fashion, escape and mobility, travel, food, and beverage, as well as visual culture. 

Exploring creativity in every form, gestalten is known and loved by millions around the globe for its unique lens across print and digital mediums. gestalten also publishes illustrated books for children through its imprint Little gestalten.