<
https://theconversation.com/oshikatsu-the-fandom-phenomenon-japan-hopes-can-boost-its-flagging-economy-253853>
"Posters in Tokyo’s enormous Shinjuku railway station are normally used for
advertising commodities like cosmetics and food, as well as new films. But
occasionally you may happen across a poster with a birthday message and a
picture of a young man, often from a boy band and typically with impeccable
looks.
These posters are created by specialised advertising companies and are paid for
by adoring fans. They are part of a phenomenon called
oshikatsu, a term
coined in recent years that is made from the Japanese words for “push” and
“activity”.
Oshikatsu refers to the efforts fans engage in to support their favourite
oshi, which can mean an entertainer, an anime or manga character, or a group
they admire and want to “push”.
A considerable part of this support is economic in nature. Fans attend events
and concerts, or buy merchandise such as CDs, posters and other collectables.
Other forms of
oshikatsu are meant to spread the fame of their idol by
sharing content about their
oshi, engaging in social media campaigns, and
writing fan fiction or drawing fan art.
Oshikatsu developed out of the desire of fans to have a closer link to their
idols. The combination of
oshi and
katsu first appeared on social media
networks in 2016 and became widespread as a hashtag on Twitter in 2018. In
2021,
oshikatsu was nominated as a candidate for Japan’s word of the year, a
sign that its use had become mainstream.
Now, it has appeared on the radar of corporate Japan. The reason for this is a
burst of inflation in recent years, caused by pandemic supply chain disruption
and geopolitical shocks, that has caused Japanese consumers to reduce their
spending.
However, with wages set to rise again for the third time in three years, the
government is cautiously optimistic that economic growth can be rekindled
through consumer-driven spending. Entertainment and media companies are looking
to
oshikatsu as a potential driver of this, although it is unclear whether
the upcoming pay hikes will be sufficient."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
