Oshi-Katsu Chronicle 2002: World Cup Street Cheering, Chaku-Uta Ringtones, and Ken Hirai's "Big Old Clock"

In 2002, Japan and South Korea co-hosted the soccer World Cup. Japan’s national team reached the knockout rounds for the first time, and outside the stadiums, crowds gathered around big-screen broadcasts to cheer.

In music, BoA’s album and Ken Hirai’s “Big Old Clock” were hits. At the end of the year came chaku-uta, a way to set the singer’s own voice as your phone’s ringtone.

Women cheering for a soccer match on the street in 2002

The Japan-Korea World Cup: Cheering Together in Front of a Big Screen

The co-hosted World Cup ran from May 31 to June 30. Japan drew with Belgium, beat Russia and Tunisia, and topped its group. In the knockout round it lost to Turkey and finished in the round of 16. Japan Football Association (in Japanese)

At this tournament, big screens were set up away from the match venues so people could watch the broadcasts together, a practice called public viewing. This tournament was the first time gathering paying spectators this way was run as a business in Japan. An interview with someone involved in running it, in Business Design (in Japanese)

Japan at the 2002 World Cup

Group stage: A draw with Belgium, then wins over Russia and Tunisia. Japan advanced in first place.
Knockout stage: Lost to Turkey to finish in the round of 16.
Outside the stadiums: Public viewing on big screens was held around the country. This was the first tournament at which paid public viewing became a business in Japan.

England’s David Beckham drew attention too, and “Beckham-sama” made the top ten of the year’s buzzword awards. The award was accepted not by the player himself but by the general manager of the Westin Hotel Awaji. Jiyu Kokuminsha (in Japanese)

Learning Songs From the Broadcasts, and Hearing a Children’s Song in Ken Hirai’s Voice

On Nippon TV’s World Cup coverage, Dragon Ash’s “FANTASISTA” was the theme song. NHK’s theme was Porno Graffitti’s “Mugen.” Dragon Ash official site (in Japanese) / Porno Graffitti official site (in Japanese)

On August 28, Ken Hirai released “Ookina Furudokei” (“Big Old Clock”). The song was already known as a children’s song, and this was a version to hear in Hirai’s voice. It was chosen as the August and September song on NHK’s Minna no Uta, and was used in commercials for au’s “EZ Chaku-Uta.” Ken Hirai official site (in Japanese)

BoA Reaches No. 1 on Japan’s Album Chart

BoA, from South Korea, had made her Japanese debut the year before. LISTEN TO MY HEART, released on March 13, was her first album in Japan. It debuted at No. 1 on Oricon’s weekly album ranking, a first for a Korean artist. Avex (in Japanese) / Natalie Music (in Japanese)

BoA had debuted in South Korea in August 2000 at age 13, and made her Japanese debut less than a year later. Natalie (in Japanese)

At the end of the year, “LISTEN TO MY HEART” won a Gold Prize at the Japan Record Awards. The Grand Prix went to Ayumi Hamasaki’s “Voyage,” and the Best New Artist award to Mika Nakashima. Japan Composers Association (in Japanese)

From Chaku-Melo to Chaku-Uta: The Singer’s Own Voice on Your Phone

On December 3, chaku-uta (“ringtone songs”) delivery began for au cell phones. It was a service for downloading short pieces of music, cut from CD recordings and other sources, with the singer’s voice in them. According to the announcements of the time, they ran about 30 seconds. Recochoku (archive) (in Japanese) / KDDI’s announcement at the time (in Japanese)

How did the sound from cell phones change?

Chaku-melo: Reproduces a song's melody in the phone's electronic tones.
Chaku-uta: Plays a short clip of a recording with the singer's voice in it.

The first two compatible models had cameras and could also shoot video of up to 15 seconds. KDDI announcement from the time (in Japanese)

In March, au’s first camera phone, the A3012CA, was also announced, and it went on sale in stages from April 1. At the time, sending photos to a phone on a different carrier still came with inconveniences, such as differences in file format. KDDI (in Japanese)

Goto Maki Graduates: Following the Group and the Solo Career

In September, Maki Goto graduated from Morning Musume. Her appearances as a member of the group ended, but her career as a solo singer continued. ORICON NEWS (in Japanese)

Seeing a Novel’s Characters on Film, and Adventuring With Disney Friends in a Game

According to a 2002 Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan document, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone earned ¥20.3 billion (roughly $135 million) at the box office and The Chamber of Secrets ¥18 billion, taking first and second place among foreign films. The Sorcerer’s Stone had been in theaters since the end of the previous year. Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan (in Japanese)

Among Japanese films, Studio Ghibli’s The Cat Returns and Ghiblies: Episode 2, released as a double feature, earned ¥6.46 billion.

On March 28, the PS2 game Kingdom Hearts was released. Its hero, Sora, adventures alongside Donald and Goofy through worlds based on Disney works. Square Enix (in Japanese)

Films in the 2002 box office figures

Foreign No. 1Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: ¥20.3 billion. It had been in theaters since late the previous year.
Foreign No. 2Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: ¥18 billion.
JapaneseThe Cat Returns and Ghiblies: Episode 2: ¥6.46 billion as a double bill.

Where fans met their favoritesSix ways to follow what you loved in 2002

Fandom in 2002Beyond the TV screen

Big screensWorld Cup public viewing
Cover songsA hit in a favorite voice
Idol graduationFollowing the group or the solo career
Phone ringtonesChaku-uta with the singer's voice
GamesAdventuring with Disney friends
Comic MarketFan-made books in person

The same wish, to be near what you love, took many forms.

At Comic Market, the venue for buying fan-made books, the summer edition (No. 62) drew a total of 480,000 attendees and the winter edition (No. 63) 450,000. Both were three-day events. Comic Market Preparation Committee (in Japanese)

Comic Market in 2002Two three-day fairs

480,000: Total attendees at Comic Market 62 (summer)
450,000: Total attendees at Comic Market 63 (winter)

Source: Comic Market Preparation Committee

Key Events of the Year

Cheering on the Japan–Korea World Cup, and singing voices that ring as mobile phone ringtones

Mar.au releases its first camera phone, the A3012CATechnology
Mar. 13BoA releases LISTEN TO MY HEARTMusic
Mar. 28Kingdom Hearts (PS2) is releasedGames
May 31–Jun. 30At the Japan–Korea World Cup, the Japan national team reaches the round of 16 for the first timeSports
Jun.Public viewings are held in many placesMedia
Aug. 9–11Comic Market 62 (480,000 total visits over three days)Fan works
Aug. 28Ken Hirai releases "Ookina Furudokei" (Grandfather's Clock)Music
Sep.Maki Goto graduates from Morning Musume.Idols
Sep.The Yomiuri Giants win the Central League pennant (86 wins, 52 losses, 2 ties)Sports
Oct.The Giants beat Seibu in the Japan Series to become Japan championsSports
Dec. 3au starts "EZ Chaku-uta," which turns recorded singing voices into ringtonesTechnology
Dec.At the 19th Buzzwords of the Year awards, the Grand Prizes go to "Tama-chan" and "World Cup (Nakatsue Village)"Society
Dec. 28–30Comic Market 63 (450,000 total visits over three days)Fan works
Dec. 31At the 44th Japan Record Awards, Ayumi Hamasaki's "Voyage" wins the Grand PrixMusic
During the yearHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, released at the end of the previous year, ranks No. 1 at the foreign-film box office (20.3 billion yen)Film
During the yearThe Cat Returns / Ghiblies: Episode 2 ranks No. 1 at the Japanese-film box office (6.46 billion yen)Film

2002 at a glanceThe year fans cheered together and carried songs in their phones

March 13BoA tops the album chartA first for a Korean artist
March 28Kingdom Hearts releasedSora adventures with Donald and Goofy
May 31 to June 30Japan-Korea World CupBig-screen public viewing spreads
August 28Ken Hirai's "Big Old Clock"A children's song in a favorite voice
SeptemberMaki Goto graduatesShe leaves Morning Musume for a solo career
December 3Chaku-uta beginsSinging voices reach the phone

Cheering moved from stadium seats to big screens, and music moved into the phone.

The Year’s Buzzword Awards

Jiyu Kokuminsha's Buzzwords of the Year: the 19th awards (2002)

Grand PrizeTama-chan (the bearded seal that appeared in the Tama River): Yuji Sasaki (discoverer of Tama-chan) and Yuko Kurozumi (Fuji TV)
Grand PrizeWorld Cup (Nakatsue Village): Yasumu Sakamoto (mayor of Nakatsue Village)
Top 10Kashi-hagashi (banks pulling back loans): On hold (no recipient)
Top 10Koe ni dashite yomitai Nihongo ("Japanese you want to read aloud," a bestselling book): Takashi Saito (assistant professor, Meiji University)
Top 10Shinju fujin ("Madame Pearl," a daytime TV drama): Keijiro Tsuru (producer, Tokai Television)
Top 10Daburu jusho ("double award," two Japanese Nobel Prize winners in one year): Masatoshi Koshiba (professor emeritus, University of Tokyo) and Koichi Tanaka (Shimadzu Corporation)
Top 10Naibu kokuhatsu (whistleblowing): Hiroaki Kushioka (author)
Top 10Beckham-sama ("Mr. Beckham"): Shinichiro Fujimoto (general manager, Westin Hotel Awaji)
Top 10Muneo House (a dance remix parodying scandal-hit lawmaker Muneo Suzuki): Noriaki Sasaki (member of the House of Representatives)
Top 10Rachi (abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korea): No recipient
Special AwardGODZILLA (Gojira, Matsui's nickname): Hideki Matsui (player, Yomiuri Giants)

The grand prizes went to “Tama-chan” and “World Cup (Nakatsue Village).” They recognized the nickname of a seal that appeared in the Tama River and elsewhere, and the events in the village that welcomed a national team. Besides “Beckham-sama,” the special prizes included “GODZILLA,” the nickname of Hideki Matsui. Jiyu Kokuminsha (in Japanese)

Matsui hit 50 home runs that year and helped the Giants win the Japan Series. From the following year he would play for the Yankees in the United States. Nippon Professional Baseball (in Japanese) / Japan Series (in Japanese)

In 2003, the Korean drama Winter Sonata began airing in Japan. It was a year in which more people came to know overseas actors through dramas.

FAQ

When did public viewing spread in Japan?

The 2002 Japan-Korea World Cup was the turning point. Big-screen viewing venues were set up around the country for the tournament, and it is said to be one of the earliest cases of public viewing run as an organized business in Japan.

When did BoA top the Oricon chart?

Her album LISTEN TO MY HEART, released on March 13, 2002, debuted at No. 1 on Oricon's weekly album ranking, a first for a Korean artist.

When did chaku-uta start?

It began on December 3, 2002, as "EZ Chaku-Uta" under the au brand of KDDI and Okinawa Cellular Telephone. Because of connection-speed limits at the time, it delivered excerpts of about 30 seconds rather than whole songs.

How widespread was photo messaging on phones in 2002?

J-PHONE led the way in 2001, and au released its first camera phone, the A3012CA, in April 2002. Sending photos easily between different carriers, however, is said to have arrived around 2004 to 2005.

What won Japan's buzzword awards in 2002?

There were two grand prizes: "Tama-chan" and "World Cup (Nakatsue Village)." "Beckham-sama," the nickname for England's David Beckham, made the top ten, and Hideki Matsui's nickname "GODZILLA" received a special prize.

How big was Comic Market in 2002?

Comic Market 62 in August had 35,000 circles and 480,000 attendees in total, and Comic Market 63 in December had 35,000 circles and 450,000. The event had settled into a stable, twice-a-year rhythm.