The term refers to the tendency of obsessive fans wanting to financially support their idols or “oshis” through events or the purchase of merchandising.
The posters at the huge Shinjuku Train Station in Tokyo are usually used to advertise products such as cosmetics and food, as well as new movies. But from time to time, it is possible to find a poster with a birthday message and the photograph of a young man, often of a boys band and usually with an impeccable appearance.
These posters are created by specialized advertising companies and are paid by fans who love them. Are part of a phenomenon called oshikatsua term coined in recent years that results from the Japanese words to “drive” and “activity.”
Oshikatsu refers to efforts that fans make to support your oshi Preferred, who can mean an artist, an anime or mango character, or a group who admire and want to “propel.”
A considerable part of this support It is of an economic nature. Fans watch events and concerts, or buy articles like CD, posters and other collection objects. Other forms of oshikatsu are intended to spread the fame of your idol, sharing content about your oshiparticipating in social networking campaigns and writing fan fiction or designing fan art.
O oshikatsu It developed from the desire of fans of having a closer connection with their idols. The combination of oshi e katsu It first appeared on social networks in 2016 and widespread as hashtag on Twitter in 2018. In 2021, oshikatsu was named Candidate for the Word of the Year in Japana sign that its use had become popular.
Now it has appeared on the radar of Business Japan. The reason for this is the explosion of inflation in recent years, caused by the Supply chain disruption Pandemic and geopolitical shocks, which led Japanese consumers to reduce their expenses.
However, with salaries increasing again for the third time in three years, the government is cautiously optimistic that economic growth can be revived through consumption. Entertainment and media companies are looking at the oshikatsu like a Potential motor of this situationalthough it is unclear whether the next salary increases will be enough.
A widespread phenomenon
Contrary to popular perception, o oshikatsu It is no longer just the scope of subcultures or young people. In Japan, Oshikatsu is no longer just a matter of subcultures or young people, but also from older age groups.
According to an inquiry carried out in 2024 by the Japanese marketing research company, 46% of women in their 50s have a oshi that support financially. Older generations tend to have more money to spend, especially after their own children ended their studies.
O oshikatsu It also means an interesting reversal in terms of gender. While in the traditional Japanese home it is still expected that husbands are the breadwinner, in the oshikatsu Women are more often that financially support young men.
The amount that fans spend on os your oshi It depends. According to a recent inquiry by the Japanese marketing company CDG and Osicoco, an advertising agency specializing in oshikatsuthe average amount that fans spend on activities related to their oshis It is 250 000 yen (about 1544 euros) per year.
It is estimated that this value contributes to the Japanese economy at 3.5 billion yen (21.6 billion euros) per year and Represent 2.1% of total sales annual retail in Japan.
O Oshikatsu will increase consumer expenses. But it may not have the impact on the Japanese economy that authorities are waiting. For younger fans, the danger is that the approval of the government will end up with any type of “fixed effect”, render o oshikatsu less appealing For these long -term people.
And to support a oshi which has not yet had their great moment, they can have a stronger feeling that their support is important. Thus, some of the spending will directly go to individuals rather than established corporate superstars. But it is also possible for young people in trouble spend more of this money than the established celebrities.
The international press is focusing on the economic side of the oshikatsu or in peculiarity of “obsessive” fans that get a second job to support their oshi And the mothers who spend large sums with a man half his age. But what this coverage does not realize is the slow but deep social transformation that o oshikatsu It is a sign.
carried out in 2022 on the people who participate in the oshikatsu It makes it clear that “fan activities” respond to a deep desire for connectionvalidation and belonging. Although this desire can be satisfied through friendship or intimate partnership, a growing number of young Japanese adults feel that such relationships are.
Male young people are leading this category, especially those who do not work in white collar companies with relatively stable jobs, the so -called “Salarymen”. Many who work part -time or blue collar jobs have difficulty imagining a future in which they have a family.
The tertiary sector is therefore changing to accommodate a growing number of services that transform intangible things like friendship, companionship and romantic escape fantasies in paid services.
From non -sexual caresses to Rent of a friend for a day Or to a meeting with a transvestite escort, it is possible to look for a temporary relief for loneliness in a hours. As a result, the human connection itself is becoming something that can be consumed by paying a fee.
On the other hand, the sharing of activities of oshikatsu You can create new friendships. Fans who come together to collectively worship their idols are a powerful way of Create new communities. It remains to be seen how these changes in how people relate to each other will shape the future of Japan’s economy and society.
