In Japan, policymakers and economists are paying shut consideration to the oshikatsu phenomenon as a rising driver of shopper spending – and 24-year-old Momoka Matsui is one among many doing her half to shore up the financial system.
Matsui is a part of an increasing demographic of principally 20- and 30-somethings engaged in actions supporting one’s favorite celebrities, anime characters, cuddly mascots or any “oshi” – the Japanese time period for the item of 1’s adulation.
“If my salary goes up, I’d like to go to concerts out of town, even overseas, more frequently,” stated Matsui as she, like many employees in Japan, waits eagerly for one more 12 months of bumper wage hikes.
Matsui, who does oshikatsu-related advertising and marketing and analysis as a part of her general work at promoting big Hakuhodo, declined to establish her bands of selection as a result of conflict-of-interest considerations in her job.
The explosion of oshikatsu, which entered the mainstream lexicon through the pandemic, as a social phenomenon has economists and even the Bank of Japan taking word for its potential to prop up Japan’s tepid consumption.
That’s very true now, when many corporations are planning their largest pay rises in 34 years, notably for youthful employees who’re in brief provide in a good and getting older job market, Nomura Securities analyst Kohei Okazaki stated.
“The 20-somethings, who’ll probably receive another big pay rise in this spring’s wage talks, are more proactive about oshikatsu than other age groups and there’s a high possibility that spending by the age group will continue to grow this year,” he stated.
RISING TREND
A joint survey by Tokyo-based advertising and marketing corporations CDG and Oshicoco in January estimated that some 14 million folks might be engaged in oshikatsu right now – 11% of Japan’s inhabitants. With respondents spending a mean 250,000 yen a 12 months, the survey steered a possible 3.5 trillion yen contribution from oshikatsu to the world’s fourth-largest financial system.
While that accounts for less than 2.1% of Japan’s whole annual retail gross sales, in keeping with analysts the constructive knock-on influence on consumption is predicted to be greater.
“It’s safe to say that consumption expenditure due to oshikatsu is on an increasing trend,” Okazaki stated, including non-essential spending seemed to be holding its personal at the same time as inflation prompts many to pinch pennies elsewhere.
Oshikatsu can take many varieties past the standard live performance excursions. Fans can crowd-fund an promoting area as a birthday reward for his or her idols, or just purchase the identical merchandise utilized by their oshi.
Among the most well-liked oshis are VTubers, or entertainers who signify themselves as an avatar on-line and live-stream live shows and work together with followers.
Momoka Matsui and her co-worker Saki Matsumoto put together to take pictures of acrylic stand determine fashions of their favourite idols with desserts and teas at After All Coffee. Image: REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
For Matsui, it might be so simple as spending a night occupying the identical seat at a Tokyo cafe the place a member of her favourite boy band had as soon as visited. On a latest Sunday there, she positioned a number of table-top acrylic stands printed together with his pictures – costing about 8,000 yen mixed – subsequent to her cake and tea, and snapped pictures.
“Oshikatsu is part of my identity; it’s what makes me who I am,” she stated.
That sentiment was shared by Ayari Koga, a 28-year-old workplace employee, and 21-year-old school pupil Miki Takeda, who had been visiting an oshikatsu items cafe at a well-liked procuring district in Harajuku in Tokyo to take pleasure in their tea with their manga character plushies.
“The plush dolls are cute and they give me comfort,” Takeda stated.
‘NO PASSING FAD’
It might present some consolation for policymakers too, as they appear to revitalizse shopper spending and help Japan’s financial system amid rising exterior dangers together with from U.S. tariffs.
In a Bank of Japan state-of-the-economy report in January, one retailer within the northern metropolis of Akita famous that younger folks had been shopping for a number of units of oshikatsu-related buying and selling playing cards costing greater than 10,000 yen every.
Corporate Japan is taking advantage of the phenomenon.
East Japan Railway final month started providing unique movies and smartphone wallpapers that includes “Nijisanji” VTubers on sure routes. MUFG Bank will launch a banking app that includes characters from on-line recreation “The Idolm@ster”.
Young folks getting married and having kids later in life, liberating up extra money and time, was one cause oshikatsu has grown in prevalence, Oshicoco head Natsuho Tada stated.
“Even people in the financial industry and those who had previously felt that they had nothing to do with oshikatsu have started to realize that this is not a passing fad,” she stated.
But the exercise is not restricted to the youth: assume tank Video Research stated in a survey revealed in March that about 30% of these of their 50s had an oshi.
Junko Arai, a therapist in that age group, stated she spends 60,000-70,000 yen to attend live shows of her favourite Okay-Pop teams resembling Stray Kids and NCT.
“We all have to deal with stress from work, childcare, or family issues, but by doing oshikatsu people can overcome that and find the energy to keep going.”
© Thomson Reuters 2025