Oshi-Katsu Chronicle 1988: CDs Overtake Vinyl, Dragon Quest III Lines, Totoro, and Anpanman Arrives on TV
In February 1988, a long line formed to buy the home game Dragon Quest III. In March, Tokyo Dome opened, and BOØWY, Hibari Misora and others played in the big indoor venue.
Music at home was changing too: domestic CD production passed analog records.
A Line of More Than 10,000 on Dragon Quest III’s Release Day
On February 10, Enix released the Famicom game Dragon Quest III: And Into the Legend…. At an electronics store in Ikebukuro, more than 10,000 people, including those who had waited overnight, are reported to have lined up, with police having helped to manage the crowd. Nikkei (in Japanese)
Some children skipped school to buy it, and the lines were reported as a social phenomenon.
Tokyo Dome Opens: BOØWY, Hibari Misora and Overseas Stars Perform
On March 17, Tokyo Dome, a covered all-weather stadium, opened. It became the home of the Yomiuri Giants and was also used as a venue for big concerts. Nikkei (in Japanese)
In March, Mick Jagger and HOUND DOG played, followed by BOØWY’s “LAST GIGS” on April 4 and 5 and Hibari Misora’s “Phoenix Concert” on April 11. In December, Michael Jackson performed as well. Tokyo Dome: performance records (in Japanese)
Tokyo DomeOpened March 17
- Yomiuri GiantsThe stadium's home team
- Mick Jagger, HOUND DOGMarch concerts
- BOØWY"LAST GIGS," April 4 and 5
- Hibari Misora"Phoenix Concert," April 11
- Michael JacksonPerformed in December
Rock, kayokyoku pop and music from overseas shared one stage.
For BOØWY, who had announced their breakup the year before, “LAST GIGS” was the final performance. The performance reached not only those who got into the venue but also fans who listened to the live album released later. Re:minder (in Japanese) / BARKS (in Japanese)
On March 18, the day after the opening, the Giants played the Hanshin Tigers in a preseason game. After the ceremonial first pitch, Suguru Egawa, who had retired the year before, threw a single farewell pitch to his rival Masayuki Kakefu. Nikkei (in Japanese)
CD Production Passes Analog Records
In the Recording Industry Association of Japan’s domestic production statistics, analog records outnumbered CDs in 1987. In 1988 that relationship reversed.
1987
Analog records about 74 million
CDs about 64.99 million
More analog records
1988
Analog records about 39.46 million
CDs about 115.54 million
More CDs
CDs are the total of 8 cm and 12 cm discs, and analog records the total of every size. The comparison is of units made in Japan, not units sold in shops. Recording Industry Association of Japan: production by type (in Japanese) / Analog record trends (in Japanese)
- 115.54 million
- CDs made in Japan
- 39.46 million
- Analog records made in Japan
In 1987 the order had been the other way around, with records ahead of CDs.
Source: Recording Industry Association of Japan (in Japanese)
Hikaru GENJI Wins the Record Award; Kyosuke Himuro Wins for a Solo Album
Hikaru GENJI’s “Paradise Ginga,” released March 9, won the year-end Japan Record Awards. The seven-member group, who had debuted the year before, drew fans with roller-skating performances and hit songs. Japan Composers Association (in Japanese)
The Album Grand Prix went to Kyosuke Himuro’s FLOWERS for ALGERNON. It was a work he released as a solo singer after ending BOØWY’s activities. The association’s award records (in Japanese)
The Best New Artist award went to Otokogumi’s “DAYBREAK,” and BUCK-TICK’s name appeared among the new-artist prizes.
Princess Princess Plays Halls, and New Bands Get Going
Princess Princess played Shibuya Public Hall on April 17. From the live reports of the time kept on the official site, you can trace the path toward their first Nippon Budokan show in January 1989. Sony Music (in Japanese)
X released the album Vanishing Vision from their own independent label. In Hakodate, GLAY was formed. Extasy Records: history (in Japanese) / GLAY: biography (in Japanese)
Comic Market Runs Two Days at Harumi, and More Circles Can Exhibit
On August 13 and 14, Comic Market 34 was held at the Tokyo International Trade Center in Harumi. It is recorded as having 9,200 participating circles and a combined 70,000 attendees over the two days. Comic Market Preparation Committee (in Japanese)
The previous winter, more than 3,000 circles had been unable to take part because of venue limits. The summer of 1988 gave more circles a chance to put out books, though the chronology also records that intense heat made the hall extremely hot.
- 9,200
- Participating circles
- 70,000
- Combined attendance over two days
- 3,000+
- Circles that could not take part the previous winter
More circles could exhibit, though intense heat made the hall extremely hot.
My Neighbor Totoro Opens, and Anpanman Begins on TV
On April 16, My Neighbor Totoro and Grave of the Fireflies opened as a double feature. Totoro had originally been planned as a mid-length film, which is how the two works came to be screened together. ORICON NEWS: interview with director Isao Takahata (in Japanese)
In TV anime, Mashin Hero Wataru began in April and Soreike! Anpanman on October 3. Sunrise World (in Japanese) / Anpanman official site (in Japanese)
Key Events of the Year
- Feb. 10Dragon Quest III released, with lines forming across the countryGames
- Mar. 9Hikaru GENJI releases "Paradise Ginga"Idols
- Mar. 18Tokyo Dome opens with an exhibition game, Giants vs. Hanshin TigersSports
- Apr. 4–5BOØWY plays "LAST GIGS" at Tokyo DomeMusic
- Apr. 11Hibari Misora's "Fushicho (Immortal Bird) Concert" at Tokyo DomeMusic
- Apr. 16My Neighbor Totoro and Grave of the Fireflies open as a double featureFilm
- Apr. 17Princess Princess performs at Shibuya Public HallMusic
- Apr.Mashin Hero Wataru begins airingAnime
- Jun. 18The Recruit scandal is exposed in the newsSociety
- Aug. 13–14Comic Market 34 (9,200 circles and 70,000 total visits over two days)Fan works
- Sep.The Showa Emperor's condition worsensSociety
- Sep. 17Seoul Olympics open (through Oct. 2)Sports
- Oct. 3Soreike! Anpanman begins airingAnime
- Dec.Michael Jackson performs at Tokyo DomeMusic
- Dec. 19Weekly Shonen Jump passes a stated circulation of 5 million copiesMedia
- Dec. 3130th Japan Record Awards: Hikaru GENJI wins the Grand PrixIdols
- Dragon Quest III released10,000+ in line in Ikebukuro
- Tokyo Dome opens
- BOØWY's LAST GIGSAt Tokyo Dome
- Totoro and Grave of the FirefliesOpened as a double feature
- Comic Market 349,200 circles
- Soreike! Anpanman begins
- Michael Jackson at Tokyo Dome
Games, halls, discs and books each found a bigger stage.
The Year’s Buzzword Awards
- New words · GoldPerestroika (Soviet reform policy, "restructuring")
- Nikolai Solovyov (Soviet ambassador to Japan)
- New words · SilverHanamoku ("Flower Thursday")
- Matsuya Co., Ltd.
- New words · BronzeTomato Bank (new name of Sanyo Sogo Bank)
- Kenji Yoshida (president, Sanyo Sogo Bank)
- Popular phrases · GoldKoyoi wa koko made ni (itashitogozarimasuru) ("That is all for this evening")
- Fumiko Wakao
- Popular phrases · SilverDry sensen ("dry war," the dry beer competition)
- Hirotaro Higuchi (president, Asahi Breweries)
- Popular phrases · BronzeCima (phenomenon) (the surge in sales of the Nissan Cima luxury sedan)
- Yutaka Kume (president, Nissan Motor)
- Popular phrases · Popular AwardAgnes ronso (the Agnes controversy over bringing a baby to work)
- Agnes Chan
The gold prize in the trendy-phrase category, “Koyoi wa koko made ni (itashitogozarimasuru)” (“We shall end here for tonight”), was a phrase that spread from the narration of NHK’s Taiga historical drama Takeda Shingen. A line heard in the weekly broadcast came to be used in everyday life. Jiyu Kokuminsha: winners of the fifth awards (in Japanese)
The People’s Prize winner “Agnes Ronso” (“the Agnes controversy”) was the debate over the singer Agnes Chan bringing her child to her workplace. Broadcast Library: program from the time (in Japanese)
Next, 1989, the year the era name changes from Showa to Heisei. We follow band hits, new music programs and the arrival of a handheld game console.
FAQ
How would you sum up oshi-katsu in 1988 in a phrase?
It was a year when crowds of fans gathered for new game releases and for shows at big venues. Long lines formed on the release day of Dragon Quest III, and Tokyo Dome, which opened in March, became a venue that could take in concerts of tens of thousands.
How big was the line for Dragon Quest III?
On the February 10, 1988 release day, an electronics store in Ikebukuro was reported to have a line of more than 10,000 people, including those who had waited overnight, stretching roughly 1 to 2 kilometers, with police dispatched to keep order. Domestic shipments are said to have been 3.8 million copies.
What concerts were held at Tokyo Dome in its opening year?
After the March 17 opening, Mick Jagger played on March 22 and 23, HOUND DOG on March 28, and BOØWY's "LAST GIGS" on April 4 and 5. On April 11, Hibari Misora's "Phoenix Concert" was also held.
Who won the Japan Record Awards in 1988?
The Grand Prix went to Hikaru GENJI for "Paradise Ginga," the first win by a male idol group. The Album Grand Prix went to Kyosuke Himuro's *FLOWERS for ALGERNON*, the Best Vocal Performance Award to Chiyoko Shimakura for "Jinsei Iroiro," and the Best New Artist award to Otokogumi for "DAYBREAK."
How big was Comic Market in 1988?
According to the official Comic Market chronology, C34, held August 13 and 14 at the Tokyo International Trade Center in Harumi, drew a combined 70,000 attendees over the two days and 9,200 circles. That was a big rise from the previous year's C32, with 60,000 attendees and 4,400 circles.
How did fans connect with each other in 1988?
The main means were fan-club newsletters and fan letters, postcards to radio shows, and reader-submission pages in magazines. PC networking such as NIFTY-Serve, which began the year before, had started to get going, but it would be a little longer before it became the center of fan activity.
