I’m guessing this one is a pun on a good luck word, but no idea. Anyone else?
Question from Blue Lotus blog.
Why are the mice (or rats) representing this year in the Chinese zodiac often depicted munching on an akakabu (red turnip)?
February 1, 2008 at 10:58 pm (Japan FAQs and SAQs, Japanese festivals and celebrations, Japanese New Year, Japanese religion and superstition, Japanese superstitions/ good luck charms)
Why is the word for geek (おたく otaku) and the polite for you (お宅 おたく otaku) the same?
February 1, 2008 at 8:10 am (Japanese homophones, Japanese language, Japanese men, Japanese word origins, Keigo (polite language), Otaku (Japanese geeks))
They could just be homophones, something which Japanese has a huge number of, but one explanation link the two. One sign of the lack of social skills of otaku was using overformal language like お宅 with each other, so much so that it eventually became their name for each other
