In its very first month, the community attracted 15,000 members, running the gamut from self-identified “human waste” and male virgins to “home security guards” (that is, unemployed layabouts). Eighty-eight percent of users are between the ages of 20 and 40, and four out of five are male. Another 10% describe themselves as “mo-jo,” and the rest are “nekama,” or virtual drag queens. The rules of engagement: if you get a girlfriend, you are banned; members can only talk about “himote” topics; comments by “riajyuu,” or those “satisfied in real life,” are not allowed.

Egami says he’s only against romance in the real world insofar as it limits the potential for personal realization. “’Himote’ is a culture, it is an ideology,” he insists. “It’s about being satisfied with who we are before we go looking for partners. If we do that, we realize we don’t need them to be happy. ‘Himote’ camaraderie grows from that understanding.”