Oshi-Katsu Chronicle 1999: GLAY's 200,000-Person Show and i-mode, Reading About Your Oshi on a Mobile Phone

In 1999, “i-mode,” a service for using email and the internet on a mobile phone, began. Besides talking, you could now read news and ticket information on a small screen.

That summer, 200,000 people gathered in Makuhari for an outdoor show by the rock band GLAY.

An image of oshi-katsu in 1999

GLAY’s 200,000-Person Show: A Makuhari Parking Lot Becomes a One-Day Venue

On July 31, “GLAY EXPO ‘99 SURVIVAL” was held. The site was a special venue set up in the parking lot of Makuhari Messe in Chiba. According to GLAY’s official records, attendance was 200,000 and the site covered about 18.5 hectares. GLAY official site (in Japanese)

GLAY EXPO '99 SURVIVALOne day, one parking lot

200,000: Attendance
18.5 ha: Site area
700 m: Site length

Source: GLAY official site

The facilities that supported a show for 200,000 people

A huge site: A special stage set up on grounds 700 meters long and 264 meters wide.
Multiple video screens: In addition to the large screen on the stage, monitors placed around the site.
Ways to get there: Special JR trains and shuttle buses ran to move visitors.

Gates opened at 10:30 a.m. and the show began at 4:30 p.m., because it took that long to let 200,000 people in. During the wait, the members broadcast a talk show heard only at the venue from a nearby hotel room. GLAY official site (in Japanese)

At the end of this year they won the Japan Record Award for “Winter, again.” On December 23, they held a joint show with LUNA SEA, “THE MILLENNIUM EVE,” at Tokyo Dome. Japan Composers Association (in Japanese) / GLAY official site (in Japanese)

First Love and “LOVE Machine”: Listening on CD, Singing at Karaoke

Hikaru Utada released her first album, First Love, on March 10. It includes songs such as “Automatic,” her debut single from the previous December. Its cumulative sales reached 7.672 million copies, the most for any single or album in Oricon’s records. Hikaru Utada official site (in Japanese) / ORICON NEWS (in Japanese)

On September 9, Morning Musume’s “LOVE Machine” was released. It became the group’s first million-seller and ranked No. 1 on Oricon’s karaoke chart for 17 straight weeks. It was also the first single to feature the third-generation member Maki Goto. Crank-In! (in Japanese)

LOVE MachineA song built for singing along

1M+: Copies sold
17: Weeks at No. 1

Source: Crank-In!

On November 3, the group Arashi made their CD debut with “A.RA.SHI.” Meanwhile, in October, SPEED announced their breakup for March 2000. All four members appeared together at the news conference on October 5. Eriko Imai said the idea of breaking up had first come up in August of the previous year. STARTO ENTERTAINMENT (in Japanese) / Bungeishunju (in Japanese)

Three events in three autumn months

September 9"LOVE Machine" released: The first single to feature Maki Goto, and Morning Musume's first million seller.
October 5SPEED announce their breakup: All four members appeared at the news conference. The breakup was set for March 2000.
November 3Arashi make their CD debut: Their debut single was "A.RA.SHI."

i-mode Begins: Opening Ticket Information and Email on Your Mobile

The mobile carrier NTT Docomo started i-mode on February 22. From a compatible mobile phone you could use services such as news, weather forecasts and ticket reservations. It passed 200,000 subscribers within three months of launch. NTT Docomo (in Japanese)

Docomo’s technical journal reported at the time that subscriptions were growing by 30,000 a week. The same article likened i-mode to “a big rookie, the first in a long while, like Seibu’s pitcher Matsuzaka.” NTT Docomo (in Japanese)

The start of i-mode in numbers

February 22: NTT Docomo launches the service.
200,000 subscriptions: Passed within three months of launch.
30,000 a week: The pace of new subscriptions recorded in Docomo's technical journal.

The chaku-melo service, which delivered a song’s melody for use as a ringtone, also spread. Unlike playing back a singer’s recorded voice, it sounded a song in the phone’s electronic tones. MTI (in Japanese)

Anonymous Boards Multiply: Reading the Impressions of Fans You Don’t Know

In May, Hiroyuki Nishimura, widely known simply as Hiroyuki, opened the anonymous bulletin board 2channel, a site where users post text by topic without names and read what others wrote. There were earlier boards such as the “Amezou Bulletin Board.” Accounts differ on whether it opened on May 16 or May 30, and Nishimura himself has written that he does not remember the date. Hiroyuki Nishimura looks back, Internet White Paper 2001 (in Japanese)

ONE PIECE Starts as Anime, and Fans’ Works Line the Sales Events

On October 20, the TV anime ONE PIECE began airing. The manga about Luffy and his crew, who aim to become the Pirate King, could also be watched on TV with voices and movement. Toei Animation (in Japanese)

Ojamajo Doremi and Digimon Adventure also began that year. In theaters, the double bill featuring Maboroshi no Pokemon Lugia Bakutan (Pokémon: The Movie 2000) ranked No. 1 among Japanese films in distribution revenue, at ¥3.5 billion. WEB Animation Style (in Japanese) / Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan (in Japanese)

Summer’s Comic Market 56 (Comiket), the fair for self-published works, drew a combined 400,000 people over three days. The winter 57th was also held over three days, drawing a combined 320,000. Comic Market Preparation Committee (in Japanese)

Fukuoka Daiei Wins the Japan Series; “Zassou Damashii” and “Revenge” Get Talked About

In pro baseball, the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks beat the Chunichi Dragons four games to one to become Japan Series champions for the first time since moving to Fukuoka. All the Japan Series games were played at Fukuoka Dome and Nagoya Dome. Nippon Professional Baseball (in Japanese)

The Giants’ Koji Uehara and Seibu’s Daisuke Matsuzaka both drew attention as rookies. Uehara’s “zassou damashii” (“weed spirit”) and Matsuzaka’s “revenge” were chosen for grand prizes at that year’s Buzzword of the Year awards. Uehara had been a backup pitcher in high school and never played at Koshien. Matsuzaka went 16-5 and used the word “revenge” after a game he lost. Jiyu Kokuminsha (in Japanese)

Key Events of the Year

GLAY's huge live shows and the launch of i-mode

Feb. 22NTT DoCoMo launches the "i-mode" serviceMedia
Mar. 10Hikaru Utada releases the album First LoveMusic
MayThe anonymous bulletin board "2channel" opensMedia
Jul.The Pokémon movie "Revelation Lugia" opens (¥3.5 billion in distribution revenue)Anime
Jul. 31GLAY EXPO '99 draws 200,000 people at MakuhariMusic
Aug. 13–15Comic Market 56 (400,000 total visits over three days)Fan works
Sep. 1Commercial ADSL, said to be the first in Japan, starts in Nagano PrefectureMedia
Sep. 9Morning Musume. release "LOVE Machine"Music
Oct. 5SPEED announce their breakup (the breakup takes effect in March 2000)Music
Oct. 20TV anime ONE PIECE begins broadcastingAnime
Oct. 23–28The Fukuoka Daiei Hawks win their first Japan championship since moving to FukuokaSports
Nov. 3Arashi make their CD debut with "A-RA-SHI"Idols
Dec. 23LUNA SEA and GLAY perform together at the Tokyo DomeMusic
Dec. 24–26Comic Market 57 (320,000 total visits over three days)Fan works
Dec. 31At the 41st Japan Record Awards, GLAY win the Grand PrixMusic
Dec. 31Morning Musume. appear on the 50th NHK Kohaku Uta GassenMusic

1999 at a glanceThe year phones, boards and stadium fields opened up

Feb 22i-mode beginsNews and tickets on a phone
Mar 10First LoveHikaru Utada's first album
May2channel opensAn anonymous bulletin board
Jul 31GLAY EXPO '99200,000 at Makuhari
Sep 9LOVE MachineMorning Musume's first million-seller
Oct 20ONE PIECE animeStarts on TV
Nov 3Arashi's CD debut"A.RA.SHI."

The Year’s Buzzword Awards

Jiyu Kokuminsha's Buzzwords of the Year: winning words of the 16th awards (1999)

Grand PrizeZassokondamashii ("weed spirit," the grit to rise again like a weed): Koji Uehara (Yomiuri Giants)
Grand PrizeBucchihon ("Buchi phone," Prime Minister Obuchi's habit of phoning people directly): Keizo Obuchi (Prime Minister)
Grand PrizeRevenge (rival-beating comeback, said by Matsuzaka): Daisuke Matsuzaka (Seibu Lions)
Top 10Gakko (kyu) hokai ("school/classroom collapse"): Ryoichi Kawakami
Top 10Karisuma ("charisma," used for star shop clerks in fashion): All the charisma shop clerks at Shibuya 109 "Egoist"
Top 10Mitchy-Satchy (the rivalry between Mitchy Asaka and Satchy Nomura): Mitsuyo Asaka
Top 10Seireki 2000-nen mondai (the Year 2000 problem, Y2K): Atsushi Itani
Top 10Dango san kyodai ("The Three Dumpling Brothers"): Production staff of NHK's Okaasan to Issho
Top 10Iyashi ("healing"): Isamu Nishiguchi
Top 10i-mode: Keiji Tachikawa (Representative Director, NTT Mobile Communications Network)

The grand prizes in Japan’s annual Buzzword of the Year awards were “zassou damashii,” “Bucchi-phone” and “revenge.” “i-mode” and “charisma” also made the top ten. Jiyu Kokuminsha (in Japanese)

The recipients for “charisma” were the shop staff of “Egoist” at Shibuya 109, the fashion building. Beyond entertainers, there were people whose outfit combinations and makeup others took as reference. Jiyu Kokuminsha noted that shop staff at fashion stores were the job high school girls most admired at the time. Jiyu Kokuminsha (in Japanese)

In 2000, camera phones and the PlayStation 2 appeared. A summer music festival also began at a new venue that year.

FAQ

When did i-mode begin?

NTT Docomo launched the service on February 22, 1999. Under the slogan "from a phone you talk on to a phone you use," it passed 200,000 subscribers within three months of launch.

How big was GLAY EXPO '99?

It was held on July 31, 1999 at a special venue set up in the parking lot of Makuhari Messe in Chiba, and drew 200,000 people. It was reported as a solo concert on a scale that stands in Japanese music history.

Who won the Japan Record Award in 1999?

The grand prize went to GLAY's "Winter, again," the Album Grand Prize to Hikaru Utada's *First Love*, and Best New Artist to Yasumika Hattan. The Composition Award went to Tsunku for Morning Musume's "LOVE Machine."

How big was Comic Market in 1999?

Summer's Comic Market 56 (August 13-15) had 35,000 circles and a combined 400,000 attendees, and winter's Comic Market 57 (December 24-26) had 25,000 circles and a combined 320,000. Summer 1998 had 33,000 circles and a combined 380,000, so the numbers rose.

What were the Buzzword of the Year winners in 1999?

The grand prizes went to Koji Uehara's "zassou damashii" (weed spirit), Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi's "Bucchi-phone" and Daisuke Matsuzaka's "revenge." "i-mode" also made the top ten.