It's Quite Funny

[Ming-Yan]

In US:
Being otaku means you like Anime, can say it in public without getting shunned.

In Japan:
Being otaku means you are a nerd/geek and most people hide it because they will be shunned and misunderstood.

[Sazaho]

Lol, and don't you mean US and UK- even though in the UK less people know what it actually means XP

[Litvyak]

Shunned and Misunderstood? Yikes.

[Bramwell]

That was the original meaning of it in Japan. And what's funny is, most of the self-proclaimed otaku in the US/UK/Canada are nerds/geeks anyway.