This article touches on what it means to be "denpa" or "denpa-kei." Rather than a traditional subculture, denpa-kei is a state of being / a lived experience. Mushizuka references two notable figures in the denpa world-- Nemoto Takashi and Murasaki Hyakuro. The article was originally posted in slideshow format here.

• Debuted as a manga artist in Garo magazine in 1981.
• Describes himself as a “special manga artist” and the “President of Special Manga.” His distinctive, unconventional art style is frequently compared to “bathroom stall graffiti.”
• Since the 1990s, his “field work” documenting unusual people and objects—often those shunned by mainstream society—has had a significant influence on various subcultures.
• Coined several influential terms, including:
• Denpa-kei: A term referring to individuals who claim to receive divine revelations, exhibit delusional thinking, or speak incoherently.
• Inga-sha: “Karmic Being”; someone believed to be suffering retribution for past actions, based on Buddhist concepts of cause and effect.
• Gomi yashiki: “Hoarder house”; a home overrun with garbage and discarded belongings that negatively impacts its surroundings.
• Known for his catchphrase: “Demo, yarundayo!” (“But I’m gonna do it!”)

• Self-proclaimed Siberian-born factory worker with only a junior high school education.
• Moved to Tokyo in 1980.
• Known for his cruel and violent temperament; frequently committed assaults and drifted between factories and construction sites as a result.
• By 1995, began identifying himself as a “kichiku-kei” and “denpa-kei” enthusiast, expressing a desire to “destroy the vulgar depths of pretentious Japanese culture.”
• "Kichiku-kei": A subgenre within Japanese “bad taste” subculture. The term refers to works (often adult manga) depicting cruelty or antisocial behavior, as well as the creators of such works.
• Claimed to have a lifelong condition in which he constantly heard the voices of gods, demons, and the negative thoughts of others. Along with Nemoto Takashi, he defined these experiences using the terms “denpa” and “denpa-kei.”
• On July 23, 2010, he was murdered in his home. He was stabbed 48 times by a man who claimed to be one of his readers.

During his initial hearing, the defendant read a letter describing his perceived torment:

• “For years—day in and day out, without a moment’s rest—I was systematically tortured by psychological radio waves and recorded voices: the screams of men and women. It defied logic, was utterly inhuman, and is something no one should ever have to endure. A normal person would have suffered a breakdown within a week. I was relentlessly hounded by their unearthly, ferocious screams.”

• Overwhelming loudness:
• When he felt unwell, every sound within several kilometers—ordinary everyday noise—would “ride the denpa waves” and echo endlessly in his mind. As Murasaki described it, “My head sometimes turns into a radio.”

• Fluctuating intensity:
• The waves varied in strength, sometimes mild and sometimes overpowering.

• Adjustable but unstable volume:
• He believed he could regulate the volume of the waves to some extent, though at times he would lose control and become overwhelmed.

• Nighttime amplification:
• The denpa waves were reportedly strongest at night, especially during new moons and full moons.

• Hidden from others:
• He never disclosed his condition to family, friends, or romantic partners, and outwardly maintained a stable, socially normal life.

• Professional demeanor:
• At his publishing job, he was described as gentle, easygoing, diligent, and earnest—someone who worked with the motto “editing with integrity.”

• Murasaki argues that denpa waves are not fundamentally different from the divine inspirations or revelations attributed to historical figures.

• He believes people who experience denpa waves face unfair discrimination: society dismisses them as “madmen” or “junkies,” while New Age–style “channeling,” he claims, is no different from kitsunetsuki. He also rejects spiritualism, calling it “nothing more than a fancy name for denpa waves.”
• Kitsunetsuki: A Japanese folklore concept in which a person becomes possessed by a fox spirit; historically used to explain symptoms of mental illness or erratic behavior.

• Murasaki takes a highly objective and skeptical stance toward the phenomenon, stating:
• “Because of denpa waves, there’s no such thing as peace and quiet.”
• “Messages delivered by denpa waves are completely useless.”
• “I’d rather not hear voices or denpa waves at all!”

• He argues that blindly obeying denpa waves is unwise.
• He further claims: “The only reason I can objectively deal with psychic phenomena is because of my distrusting nature. I’m a denpa-kei that hears denpa waves.”

• 1. Waves with Unclear Messages — Roughly 40%

Includes indistinct or incomprehensible sounds such as:

• General noise
• The sound of someone dying
• A soul entering a mother's womb
• The Earth's axis tilting
• Pluto's rotational sound
• Celestial explosions
• Distress signals
• Foreign languages
• Mysterious "languages" from celestial bodies

• 2. Emotionally Manipulative Waves — Under 10%


• Influences emotions such as joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure
• Described as tasteless, odorless, and silent

• 3. Sensory-Distortive Waves — Less than 1%

Includes types that distort bodily or perceptual experience:

• Anti-gravity waves
• Body-disintegration waves
• Dream waves
• Paranoia-amplification waves
• Suicidal ideation-inducing waves

• 4. Waves with Clear Messages — Less than 1%

Transmit recognizable content, including:

• Precognitive or prophetic messages
• Voices or sermons referencing God, Buddha, the Devil, or Freemasons
• Strangers' conversations
• Accusatory or conspiratorial messages

• The Parasocial Type
• The Self-Destructive Type
• The Delirious / Violent Type
• The Persecutory Type
• The Whitenight Type (lit., “misguided savior”)
• The Delusional Warrior / Accusatory–Conspiratorial Type

• Do not completely dismiss their delusions.
• Rejecting everything they say outright can damage their self-esteem and worsen their worldview.

• Engage sincerely, but cautiously.
• Acknowledge their feelings and perspectives without fully validating delusional content.

• Avoid blunt or total affirmation.
• Overly enthusiastic agreement can reinforce harmful beliefs.

• Listen with humility and genuine curiousity.
• Respond with thoughtful attention, and express natural surprise or interest.

• Recognize their self-perception.
• Whether they are conspiracy theorists or claim to be attacked by denpa waves, they fundamentally see themselves as “righteous heroes.”

• Prevent isolation.
• Loneliness increases persecutory delusions and can foster hostility toward others.

• "If you truly want to help..."
• “…consider hugging and consoling them. I don’t believe that forcing them to abandon their delusions is the solution.”

• “People who take denpa waves seriously—those who become so righteously indignant that they make homemade flyers to expose conspiracies—are so earnest it brings tears to my eyes.

  They accept everything the denpa waves tell them and become driven by a passionate sense of mission.

  But placing absolute faith in messages delivered through denpa waves ultimately leads to failure.

  Those who fight against conspiracies are, in a sense, fortunate: they gain a clear purpose in life. They spend their lives waging solitary battles against what they believe to be vast conspiracy organizations.

  A life with a purpose is truly fulfilling and, in its own way, ‘happy’—even if that purpose is nothing more than an illusion.”

Trying to break one’s delusions of grandeur is utterly pointless, no matter what.

You can bring them to justice or kill them with violence, but the one thing that cannot be snuffed out is their conviction.

As strange as it sounds coming from a monster like me, there is an intrinsic human dignity in such conviction.

Depending on where their delusions lead them, anyone has the potential to become the happiest person in the world.

Everyone has the right to pursue happiness–otherwise, what would life even mean?

• “Adolf Hitler, who slaughtered six million Jewish people in World War II, was me.

  Nero, the Roman tyrant who massacred and tormented innocent people, was me.

  Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor who burned books and buried scholars, was me.

  Judas, who sold Christ for thirty pieces of silver, was me.

  In every conspiracy across time and space, I was the one who orchestrated the worst possible events.

  My delusional nerves infiltrate any era or location where malice exists. It will never cease. Behind every act of demonic cruelty, I am always there.

  Hate me. Resent me.

  Murasaki Hyakuro is the embodiment of malice that transcends time and space.

  As long as human history continues, the spirit of Murasaki Hyakuro will never die.

  Never forget: the human body is a pliable vessel—constantly targeted by countless denpa waves, delusions, and spirits seeking to attack and invade.”

(Murasaki Hyakuro, 1961–2010)

First of all, if you've made it this far--thank you for reading! This was one of my most challenging translations yet. The text is ladden with detarame (nonsense), but I hope I've conveyed its meaning appropriately.

If I were to sum up the article, I'd say that it presents denpa[-kei] as a deeply human, if unsettling, condition. It's more than just pathology. Denpa is a lived identity and subcultural aesthetic, where delusion, conviction, and purpose are deeply intertwined. Be kind to your loved ones struggling with symptoms of psychotic disorders, even if you don't understand them. At the end of the day, they're people, too.