Oshi-Katsu Chronicle 1986: BOØWY at the Budokan, the First Sanrio Character Ranking, and Dragon Quest
In 1986, members of the idol group Onyanko Club made solo debuts one after another, and fans could buy the record of an oshi they had found on TV. The rock band BOØWY played their first show at the Nippon Budokan, and Akina Nakamori won the Japan Record Awards for the second year running.
The original Dragon Quest came out, and Sanrio launched the Sanrio Character Ranking, in which fans vote for their favorite characters by postcard.
Cheering On Onyanko Club Members as Solo Singers Too
Onyanko Club had been born the year before on the TV show Yuyake Nyan Nyan, and now Eri Nitta, Sayuri Kokusho, Marina Watanabe and others made solo debuts. According to Oricon, 30 songs tied to the group, counting solo and unit releases, took No. 1 on the singles ranking in 1986. ORICON NEWS (in Japanese)
- 30
- No. 1 singles tied to Onyanko Club, counting solo and unit releases
Fans could support the whole group and a favorite member at the same time.
Source: ORICON NEWS (in Japanese)
Most of the members were high school girls at the time, chosen through auditions held on the show. ORICON NEWS (in Japanese)
BOØWY’s First Nippon Budokan Show: From Live Houses to the Big Arena
On July 2, BOØWY played their first concert at the Nippon Budokan. Vocalist Kyosuke Himuro’s stage line, “Welcome to Live House Budokan,” is still well known. Universal Music: BOØWY (in Japanese) / Mynavi News (in Japanese)
The Nippon Budokan is not, by nature, a live house. Himuro’s line symbolizes a band that grew strong in small venues now standing in a huge hall. Their album BEAT EMOTION, released November 8, took No. 1 on Oricon’s album ranking. Album record (in Japanese)
According to the Recording Industry Association of Japan, CD production in 1986 was 45.12 million discs, 2.2 times the previous year’s (about 20.64 million). It was the first year CDs overtook LP records in both units and value. Recording Industry Association of Japan (in Japanese)
- 45.12 million
- CDs made in Japan in 1986
- 2.2x
- Compared with 1985's roughly 20.64 million
For the first time, the CD passed the LP record in both units and value.
Source: Recording Industry Association of Japan (in Japanese)
Akina Nakamori Wins the Record Award Again; TM NETWORK Raises the Banner of “FANKS”
Akina Nakamori won the year-end Japan Record Awards with “DESIRE -Jonetsu-,” released February 3, taking the Grand Prix for the second year in a row. Best New Artist went to Shonentai for “Kamen Butokai” (“Masked Ball”). Akina Nakamori official site (in Japanese) / Japan Composers Association (in Japanese)
TM NETWORK released their album GORILLA on June 4. “FANKS,” the term they put forward on that album, is a coined word naming their own musical genre, with the meaning “music that is together with the fans” and “music you can dance to.” Sony Music album notes (in Japanese)
The word later came to be used as a name for the fans themselves.
Dragon Quest Is Released, and Popular Manga Go to TV Anime
On May 27, Enix released the Famicom game Dragon Quest. It is a role-playing game in which the player controls the hero, talks with townspeople, fights enemies and builds up the hero while advancing the adventure. Square Enix (in Japanese)
According to the Nikkei, word of mouth spread its reputation after release, and cumulative sales reached about 1.5 million copies. Nikkei (in Japanese)
In February the TV anime Dragon Ball began, and in October Saint Seiya. Toei Animation: Dragon Ball (in Japanese) / Saint Seiya (in Japanese)
The Sanrio Character Ranking Begins: Voting for Favorites by Postcard
The first Sanrio Character Ranking, from the maker of Hello Kitty, ran in the company’s monthly paper Ichigo Shimbun. Forty-three characters entered, and the first No. 1 was Zashikibuta. Sanrio Times (in Japanese)
A popularity poll had been run in Ichigo Shimbun the year before as well, but this year it got the name “Sanrio Character Ranking.” The postcard voting is said to have drawn 31,386 cards. Sanrio Times (in Japanese)
- 43
- Characters entered
- 31,386
- Postcards said to have been sent
- No. 1
- Zashikibuta
Fans learned about characters in the paper and cheered for them by mail.
Source: Sanrio Times (in Japanese)
PC Networking and Doujinshi Fairs: More Places to Meet Fellow Fans
In April, NEC launched the PC networking service PC-VAN, which let you connect a personal computer to a phone line and exchange information as text. BIGLOBE: history (in Japanese)
Using it took the trouble of getting equipment and connecting to a line.
The News of Yukiko Okada’s Death, and the Debate Over Media Coverage
On April 8, the idol singer Yukiko Okada died. She was 18. The sudden news was a heavy blow to the fans who had been cheering her on.
The overheated coverage of the time, and its effect on younger generations, have been re-examined in later years. 1986 brought happy news of singers’ successes, and it was also a year when fans were wrapped in deep grief. Bunshun Online retrospective (in Japanese)
Key Events of the Year
- Feb. 2Akina Nakamori releases "DESIRE -Jonetsu-"Music
- Feb. 26TV anime Dragon Ball begins broadcastingAnime
- Mar.Gundam ZZ and Maison Ikkoku begin broadcastingAnime
- Apr. 8Singer Yukiko Okada diesIdols
- Apr. 26NEC's personal-computer network "PC-VAN" goes into operationMedia
- May 27Dragon Quest is released for the Famicom (NES)Games
- Jun. 4TM NETWORK releases "GORILLA"Music
- Jun. 7Hiroshima's Sachio Kinugasa reaches 2,000 consecutive games playedSports
- Jul. 2BOØWY plays its first Nippon Budokan showMusic
- Aug.Comic Market 30 is held (3,900 circles)Fan works
- Oct. 11TV anime Saint Seiya begins broadcastingAnime
- Nov. 8BOØWY releases "BEAT EMOTION" (No. 1 on the Oricon chart)Music
- Dec.Comic Market 31 is held (4,400 circles)Fan works
- Dec. 31At the 28th Japan Record Awards, Akina Nakamori wins againMusic
- Dec. 31The 37th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen draws a 59.4% audience share (Kanto region)Media
- All yearThe first Sanrio Character AwardsCharacters
- All year30 songs tied to Onyanko Club reach No. 1 on the single rankingsIdols
- Dragon Ball anime begins
- Yukiko Okada dies at 18Fans in deep grief
- PC-VAN beginsNEC's PC networking service
- Dragon Quest releasedEnix, on the Famicom
- BOØWY at Nippon BudokanTheir first concert there
- Saint Seiya begins on TV
- Comic Market 314,400 circles
Group activities, games and networks all widened the ways fans could take part.
The Year’s Buzzword Awards
- New words · GoldKyukyoku ("the ultimate," from the gourmet manga Oishinbo)
- Tetsu Kariya (manga writer)
- New words · SilverGekikara ("extremely spicy")
- Akira Suzuki (owner of the Kanda Tanpei shop)
- New words · BronzeFamicom (Nintendo's home console)
- Hiroshi Yamauchi (president of Nintendo)
- Popular phrases · GoldShinjinrui ("the new breed," a label for young people of a new sensibility)
- Kazuhiro Kiyohara, Kimiyasu Kudo, Hisanobu Watanabe (Seibu)
- Popular phrases · SilverChiteki suijun ("intellectual level")
- Michael Salamon (Reuters bureau chief)
- Popular phrases · BronzeTeishu genki de rusu ga ii ("It's best when the husband is healthy and out of the house," a Kincho insecticide ad line)
- Eisuke Ueyama (president of Dainippon Jochugiku)
- Popular phrases · Popular AwardOnyanko (short for the idol group Onyanko Club)
- Onyanko Club (Fuji Television)
The trendy-phrase gold prize went to “Shinjinrui” (“the New Breed”), a term for young people with sensibilities unlike those before them, and it was received by the young players of the Seibu Lions baseball team. “Onyanko” and “Famicom” were also chosen, so words about TV and games fill the list. Jiyu Kokuminsha: winners of the third awards (in Japanese)
In 1987, Onyanko Club disbands and BOØWY announce their breakup, while Hikaru GENJI appear, dancing on roller skates.
FAQ
What events from 1986 are worth knowing for oshi-katsu?
Members of Onyanko Club made solo debuts one after another, and BOØWY played their first show at the Nippon Budokan. The original Dragon Quest came out, and the first Sanrio Character Ranking was held.
How popular was Onyanko Club?
According to Oricon's official profile, 30 songs tied to Onyanko Club took the No. 1 spot on the singles ranking in 1986. The group set that record in a short career, formed in 1985 and disbanded in 1987.
What is BOØWY's "Live House Budokan"?
It refers to the band's first Nippon Budokan concert on July 2, 1986, where vocalist Kyosuke Himuro told the crowd, "Welcome to Live House Budokan." The line is remembered as a symbol of a band that had built its reputation in small live houses standing on a huge stage.
How many CDs were produced in 1986?
According to the Recording Industry Association of Japan, CD production in 1986 was 45.12 million discs, valued at ¥97.912 billion. That was 2.2 times the previous year's total (about 20.64 million), and for the first time CDs outsold LP records in both units and value.
When did the Sanrio Character Ranking begin?
The first one was in 1986. It was run in the pages of Sanrio's monthly paper *Ichigo Shimbun*, with 43 characters entered. The first No. 1 was Zashikibuta. Votes were taken by postcard at the time.
What won the Buzzword of the Year awards in 1986?
The gold prize in the new-word category was "Kyukyoku" ("Ultimate"), and the gold prize in the trendy-phrase category was "Shinjinrui" ("the New Breed"). "Famicom" took the bronze in the new-word category, and "Onyanko" was among the People's Prize winners.
