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This site entry has been translated from an article originally posted by Mushizuka Mushizo here.
This article examines people who believe they receive “denpa” (radio) waves from another world and produce delusional literature—from divine revelations to conspiratorial claims. This article is not intended for readers who prefer to ignore the lives of those driven entirely by their own convictions and delusions.
He is credited with coining several key terms:
Nemoto’s contributions have played a significant role in shaping the vocabulary and aesthetics of Japan’s “bad taste” subculture.
In 1996, he co-authored Denpa-kei with Nemoto Takashi. In this work, he claimed to possess a peculiar sensitivity that enables him to perceive the delusions and malice of others through so-called “denpa waves.”
Her ability to draw manga diminished over time due to hand tremors; nevertheless, she continued to work as a stage actress despite recurrent hospitalizations and suicide attempts. In 2007, she survived a suicide attempt involving a jump from an overpass, resulting in severe injuries, including facial disfigurement and blindness in one eye.
The book's obi states:
“From divine revelations to conspiracy exposés… ‘Denpa’ individuals are those who receive messages from the other side directly within their minds. This work presents a nightmarish display of phantasmagoria, created through the collaboration of two leading figures: Murasaki Hyakuro, a fiendish, real-life denpa who has received thousands of transmissions, and Nemoto Takashi, the President of Special Manga and an authority on inga-sha and denpaningen. Everything denpa.”
“After a month-long absence from school, Natsumi returns as a follower of the new Omoidekyo religion. The cult employs Meguma prayer and magic to induce madness, leading to a series of brutal incidents. As I become entangled in this world of delirium and violence, what will become of my love?”
Otsuki Kenji’s first full-length novel portrays a youth immersed in horror.
Articles include:
These texts open a window onto the distant yet disquietingly familiar borderlands of the psyche, where delusion, hallucination, dependency, and madness converge. The material is more unsettling than conventional horror, encompassing accounts of psychiatric illness, Stockholm syndrome, substance dependence, alcoholism, prison-induced psychosis, and the dangers posed by obsessive idol fixations.
I recommend this volume to readers with a scholarly or clinical interest in psychopathology, though it may not be appropriate for all audiences.
“At Awaji Station, a woman on the platform was shouting, ‘Keep your smartphone away from me!’ She drank hydrogen water between outbursts, insisting, ‘Smartphones emit radiation that harms your health—it’s scientifically proven!’ I couldn’t stop laughing.”
- @vwxyzumi0709
“The phrase ‘Hakko Ichiu’ reminds me of that denpa cafe near a certain Tarumi station. Its handwritten sign read ‘Hakko Ichiu.’ I think the owner got busted for making a pass at an underage girl.”
- @ppponsu
“I just remembered this denpa old lady who used to ride her bike through Ikebukuro West Exit Park at breakneck speed with a Pomeranian in the basket, shouting ‘Balls are the symbol of manhood!’... She’s right, you know.”
- @justicepower
“The denpa old man in my neighborhood (whose house looks amazing!) is always scribbling mathematical equations, Chinese poetry, famous quotes, and surprisingly good artwork in chalk on the road in front of his house in the morning. I happened to be passing by one day and saw him playing a bamboo flute in the park across the street. What a talent!”
- @umeno_13
“I sometimes come across denpa on Twitter—people posting incoherent messages or repeating the same specific, incomprehensible story. Once, in a basement cafe in the Osaka Station Building, both the owner and staff were speaking nonsense. Total denpa cafe lol”
- @cornelius0321
“Not long ago, denpa were considered schizophrenic, but now they’ve gained acceptance as victims of “gang stalking.” My place is haunted–weird noises, inexplicably bent clock hands, etc.,–but I never thought it was the doing of some secret society. I heard there was even an old lady handing out flyers saying that Prime Minister Abe lives in her attic. Scary…”
- @bluesandblue
“They tweet about ‘gang stalking’ and ‘denpa wave attacks’, and the more I learn about them, the more frightening they become. It’s on a whole ‘nother level.”
- @inukani715
“(Osaka) A 29-year-old woman was arrested for suddenly attacking a boy in a park. Her incomprehensible statement reads, ‘I was ordered to do so.’ This kind of person is called a ‘denpa’.”
This kind of person is called a ‘denpa’.”
- @countzerocount
Karaage Danshaku on Tumblr claims the term ‘denpa-kei’ originated from the ‘denpa cafes’ that used to be located near Nakameguro Station. The editor in charge of Nemoto Takashi’s “Life Detox Wharf” (a series that ran in Takarajima 30) recounts his memory of said cafes. Neither Takarajima 30 nor the denpa cafes exist anymore, but…
Flyers promoting incoherent ideologies are often found hidden among notices posted on public properties or handed out in front of train stations. Examples of denpa flyers (from Twitter) are below.
Translator’s note: I ain’t readin all that
On platforms like YouTube, there are videos showcasing disruptive behavior by individuals with schizophrenia—public screaming, violent outbursts on trains—and videos posted by the individuals themselves, filming ordinary people or vehicles as supposed evidence of gang-stalking.
On NicoNico Douga, videos involving individuals with schizophrenia became a topic of discussion among certain groups like the Koushin cult and the Inmu-chu community. Examples include a woman causing a disturbance on a train by picking fights with others, forcing the train to stop; videos featuring popular “delusional warriors” later dubbed as “The Four Lords of Carbs” (Sayuri, Adachi Shin, Terai Neki and aiueo700, who is credited with sparking the initial surge in popularity).
This article examines the origins and anatomy of the denpa individual–one perceived as expressing delusional, paranoid, or otherworldly claims—and traces how the term has evolved across criminal cases, subcultures, literature, and online communities. It situates denpa both as a social label for individuals exhibiting symptoms associated with psychosis and as an aesthetic category within Japan’s “bad taste” subculture, shaped by figures like Nemoto Takashi and Murasaki Hyakuro. The article also highlights how denpa has been sensationalized in media, adopted into literature, and spread through street flyers, personal anecdotes, and viral videos—culminating in a portrait of denpa as a hybrid of pathology, urban folklore, and digital-era spectacle. I hope to pick up more of Ohta Publishing's books and translate them if I can.
I gotta admit, it was kinda depressing to read about the Four Lords of Carbs. I don't know them personally, nor have I seen any of their content, but the treatment they receive online mirrors that of Western "lolcow" culture, and it rubs me the wrong way. Yes, it can be funny when someone falls for ragebait, but I can't help but feel pity for those being bullied (if that's even the proper term) for exhibiting clear symptoms of mental illness. Let us learn from this and treat those afflicted by mental illness with dignity and respect.