OSAKA - Japan’s booming "oshi-katsu" culture, in which fans devote themselves to supporting favorite celebrities, athletes, characters and other interests, has grown into an estimated 3.8 trillion yen market, but some enthusiasts are taking multiple jobs, restricting meals and falling deeply into debt to sustain their spending.
The term "oshi" refers to a person, team, character, product or activity that someone strongly supports, while "oshi-katsu" describes the time and money spent expressing that devotion. With fans supporting everything from sports stars and idols to brands and hobbies, Japan is increasingly being described as a nation in which nearly everyone has an oshi.
The market surrounding the practice has expanded to about 3.8 trillion yen, according to a basic survey on oshi-katsu conducted by the Nomura Research Institute.
For Yusuke Uemura, who lives in Saitama Prefecture, the focus is Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani. Uemura has turned a room at his clinic into a dedicated display space filled with about 300 items related to the Japanese baseball player.
Uemura said items he acquired in 2022 were worth about 4 million yen, while those from 2023 were valued at roughly 13 million yen. He estimates that he has spent more than 100 million yen in total.
"I think it has gone beyond 100 million yen," Uemura said. "Even I think this is the ultimate form of oshi-katsu."
In Tokyo’s Shibuya district, fans direct their enthusiasm toward the idol group Kirameki Unforent, which was originally formed as a local idol group in Mie Prefecture and is now seeking wider national recognition.
One of the group’s performances also served as a sales event for a new CD, with some fans purchasing dozens of copies. Each purchase can include a special benefit ticket that allows the buyer to take a photograph with a member of the group.
One fan arrived carrying a large quantity of CDs and said he had bought between 70 and 80 copies, including those he had not yet collected. He said he planned to distribute some to acquaintances to promote the group, while keeping others stacked at home for his own enjoyment.
Using the benefit tickets, he took photographs with all the members. He said he earns about 500,000 yen a month and spends approximately 70%, or 350,000 yen, on his fandom.
At a later music festival featuring more than 20 idol groups, he appeared wearing a traditional happi coat printed with the image of his favorite member. The event promoted itself as a festival where fans could give their full energy to supporting idols.
Activities often prohibited at other concerts, including lifting fellow audience members into the air and running around the venue, were allowed, giving fans greater freedom to express their enthusiasm. After Kirameki Unforent performed, the fan was drenched in sweat.
He later attended a gathering with other fans but drank only oolong tea because he was due to work an overnight shift lasting until the following morning. He holds three jobs to pay for his oshi-katsu activities.
"It is difficult, but if working like this allows me to enjoy supporting them, it does not feel painful at all," he said.
The same culture is flourishing in Tokyo’s Kabukicho nightlife district, where hairstylist Mizuno regularly visits a themed concept cafe. Before entering, he removes his ordinary T-shirt and changes into clothing intended to entertain the cafe employees.
Concept cafes, commonly known as "concafes," operate around themes that differ from one establishment to another. The Kabukicho venue describes its employees as an idol group with whom customers can drink, eat and talk.
Mizuno began visiting about six months ago and became a fan of an employee named Kirara, who ranked first in the group’s annual sales the previous year. During one visit, he ordered a 2,400 yen omelet rice dish prepared by Kirara.
"The amount of ketchup represents the amount of love, so please use plenty," Mizuno told her.
He also ordered a bottle of champagne costing about 30,000 yen and bought 3,000 yen in store tickets, receiving Kirara merchandise in return.
"I will be living on bean sprouts from now on," he joked.
Mizuno visits the cafe about twice a week and spends more than 100,000 yen there each month. He also carries between 20 million yen and 30 million yen in debt accumulated through previous oshi-katsu activities.
Asked why he continued spending despite the debt, Mizuno said making his favorite person smile was itself a form of wealth.
"If she smiles, I consider even the debt to be part of my assets," he said. "I cannot stop. I come because I want to see the person I love."
Kirara said she appreciated his feelings but did not want fans to sacrifice their health or financial security.
"I want him to come without pushing himself too hard," she said. "I do not think people need to damage themselves to take oshi-katsu seriously, although I am very grateful for the feelings behind it."
Mizuno’s bill for the visit came to 63,900 yen, leaving him with no cash. When asked whether he had gone too far, he said he would work harder.
At home, Mizuno displays the merchandise he obtained from the cafe in a space he treats almost like a household altar. He skips breakfast and relies on inexpensive bread or homemade lunches, limiting himself to one meal on some days to keep living expenses as low as possible.
Asked about his highest priority, Mizuno replied, "Kirara."
"Supporting her is the driving force behind everything I do," he said. "If you call it dependence, then I suppose it is dependence. I call it love."
Fans also say oshi-katsu provides social connections that may otherwise be difficult to form. The Kirameki Unforent supporter said the activity had allowed him to become friends with people of different ages and occupations. The people attending the post-concert gathering had met through their shared support for the group.
Medical specialists, however, warn that fandom can become harmful when it leads to excessive debt, severe restrictions on food or declining health.
A clinic specializing in addiction treatment said it has seen an increase in people seeking help for oshi-katsu dependency over the past two or three years. About 50 to 100 patients a year now visit the clinic with problems related to excessive fan activity, rather than more traditionally recognized addictions involving gambling, alcohol or nightlife businesses.
Specialists say people normally maintain emotional balance by relying to a limited degree on several communities, such as families, workplaces and friendship groups. Those who become dependent on oshi-katsu may have only one source of emotional support, leaving them socially isolated and making it difficult simply to order them to stop.
Treatment begins by helping patients recognize their dependency and speak with others experiencing similar problems. Group discussions are used to encourage them to reconsider their behavior.
Some patients enter a group home operated by the clinic, where their actions are physically restricted so they cannot engage in oshi-katsu. Depending on the case, smartphone use may also be prohibited.
Experts stress that healthy fandom should be distinguished from behavior that creates financial and physical risks. Supporting a sports team or visiting a theme park does not usually produce a personal response based on how much a fan spends.
Some idol and concept cafe businesses, by contrast, offer increasing personal attention, photographs, conversations or affection as customers spend more. Specialists say this can resemble a commercialized romantic relationship, making such business models particularly difficult for vulnerable fans to resist.
Source: MBS
