Oshi-Katsu Chronicle 2005: AKB48 Theater and YouTube Are Born, Songs Sold on iTunes, and the Songs of NANA
In 2005, the iTunes Music Store, an online shop for buying music, started in Japan. Choosing songs on a computer and moving them to an iPod to carry around became easier still.
In the film NANA, the songs of the band from the manga became actual CDs. At the end of the year, AKB48 began performing in a dedicated theater in Akihabara, and in the United States YouTube, a site for posting and sharing videos, appeared.
iTunes Launches in Japan: Pick Songs, Load Them on an iPod, Carry Them Around
On August 4, Apple’s iTunes Music Store started service in Japan. At launch it had about 1 million songs, priced at ¥150 or ¥200 each. You could preview a song on your computer, buy it and download it. Apple
Japan already had music delivery for computers and the “Chaku-Uta Full” service for cell phones. What set iTunes apart was that buying, organizing and transferring songs to an iPod could all be done in the same software.
By then the iTunes Music Store had sold more than 500 million songs worldwide, and more than 21 million iPods had been sold. Apple
- August 4
- Service begins in Japan.
- About 1 million songs
- The catalog at launch, priced at ¥150 or ¥200 a song.
- More than 500 million songs
- Sold worldwide by that point. iPod sales had also passed 21 million units.
Besides credit cards, you could pay with the prepaid iTunes Music Card, sold in stores and elsewhere, which you spend on music up to the amount you bought in advance. Apple
“Seishun Amigo”: Two Singers, Named for Their Drama Roles
On November 2, Shuji to Akira, a limited-time unit of Kazuya Kamenashi and Tomohisa Yamashita, released “Seishun Amigo.” It was the theme song of the drama Nobuta wo Produce, in which the two starred, and the unit name comes from their characters’ names. ORICON’s article at the time (in Japanese)
The single passed a million copies in its fourth week on the chart. It was the first million-selling single in a year and seven months, since Naotaro Moriyama’s “Sakura (Dokusho).” ORICON article from the time (in Japanese)
On April 27, the Korean group TVXQ (Tohoshinki) made their Japanese debut with “Stay With Me Tonight.” They released new songs in Japanese and widened the chances for fans to support them through Japanese TV programs and events. TVXQ official site (in Japanese) / Natalie Music (in Japanese)
At the year-end Japan Record Awards, the Grand Prix went to Kumi Koda’s “Butterfly.” The Best New Artist award went to AAA, and the Best Album award to Ketsumeishi’s Ketsunopolis 4. Japan Composers Association (in Japanese)
From the Film NANA, Buying the CDs of the Band in the Story
Ai Yazawa’s manga NANA became a live-action film. It centers on two women who share the name Nana and follows their romances and band life. In the film, Mika Nakashima played Nana Osaki and Aoi Miyazaki played Nana Komatsu. Japanese Movie Database (in Japanese)
Mika Nakashima released the theme song “GLAMOROUS SKY” as “NANA starring MIKA NAKASHIMA.” Yuna Ito sang “ENDLESS STORY” under the name of Reira, the character she plays in the film. Sony Music, “GLAMOROUS SKY” (in Japanese) / About “ENDLESS STORY” (in Japanese)
The film earned ¥4.03 billion (roughly $27 million) at the box office. That same year, Train Man, which grew out of bulletin-board posts, also became a film and earned ¥3.7 billion (roughly $25 million). Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan (in Japanese)
- GLAMOROUS SKY
- The theme song, released by Mika Nakashima as "NANA starring MIKA NAKASHIMA."
- ENDLESS STORY
- Sung by Yuna Ito with the name of Reira, her character in the film, attached.
- Box office
- ¥4.03 billion.
- 01MangaThe characters and the band
- 02FilmActors perform and sing
- 03CDsBand songs to buy and replay
- 04TheatersWeb and manga hits reach the big screen
From manga to film to CD.
The AKB48 Theater Opens: Going to Shows to Get to Know the Members
On December 8, the AKB48 Theater opened on the 8th floor of the Don Quijote store in Akihabara, Tokyo’s electronics district, and 20 members took the stage for the first performance. It was a dedicated theater for the group, seating about 250 people. ORICON NEWS (in Japanese) / Looking back at the first show, Real Sound (in Japanese)
Before they were known nationwide on TV, you could go to the theater and see them sing and dance. Tickets at the time cost ¥1,000 for a seat and ¥500 for standing room. Real Sound’s look back at the first show (in Japanese)
Record of the first show, Real Sound (in Japanese)
Their major CD debut came the following year, in October 2006.
mixi Reaches 2 Million; YouTube Gets Its First Video
The number of mixi users reached 1 million in August and 2 million in December. Beyond diaries, interaction through “communities” of people with the same hobby was growing. mixi official chronology (in Japanese)
In the United States, the YouTube website was registered on February 14, and on April 23 its first video, “Me at the zoo,” was uploaded. It was a short clip of one of the founders talking about the elephants at a zoo. YouTube official / Record of the first video
YouTube was released as a beta in May.
- mixi
- Membership reached 1 million in August and 2 million in December.
- YouTube
- The website was registered on February 14. The first video, "Me at the zoo," was posted on April 23, and a beta opened in May.
Lotte Win Their First Japan Series in 31 Years; Rakuten’s First Season
In the Pacific League, the Chiba Lotte Marines, who finished second in the regular season, won through the playoffs to take the league title. At the time, the league champion was decided by playoffs held after the regular season. Nippon Professional Baseball (in Japanese)
In the Japan Series, they swept the Hanshin Tigers in four straight, winning the championship for the first time in 31 years. Game 1 on October 22 also saw a rare occurrence: dense fog forced the game to be called partway through the seventh inning. Japan Series records (in Japanese)
Rakuten, whose entry had been decided the previous year, joined the same league. In its first season it went 38-97-1. Nippon Professional Baseball (in Japanese)
At Comic Market, where fans bring their own works, Comic Market 68 in summer drew a total of 480,000 attendees over three days and Comic Market 69 in winter 350,000 over two days. Comic Market Preparation Committee (in Japanese)
- 480,000
- Total attendees, summer (three days)
- 350,000
- Total attendees, winter (two days)
Key Events of the Year
- Jan.mixi starts a premium membership serviceMedia
- Feb. 14The YouTube website domain is registeredVideo
- Apr. 23The first video, "Me at the zoo," is posted to YouTubeVideo
- Apr. 27TVXQ make their Japan debut with "Stay With Me Tonight"Music
- Aug. 4iTunes Music Store launches in JapanMedia
- Aug.mixi passes 1 million membersMedia
- Aug. 12–14Comic Market 68 (480,000 total visits over three days)Fan works
- Sep. 3The film NANA opens, and the songs by its on-screen band come out on CDFilm
- Oct. 6Nomura Research Institute publishes an otaku market survey (12 fields)Business
- From Oct.Rozen Maiden Träumend begins broadcastingAnime
- Oct. 22–26In the Japan Series, the Chiba Lotte Marines sweep four straight and win the title for the first time in 31 yearsSports
- Nov. 2Shuji to Akira release "Seishun Amigo" (1 million copies in its fourth week)Music
- Dec. 1"Moe~" makes the Top 10 at the 22nd Buzzwords of the Year awardsSociety
- Dec.mixi reaches 2 million membersMedia
- Dec. 8The AKB48 Theater opens in Akihabara (capacity about 250)Idols
- Dec. 29–30Comic Market 69 (350,000 total visits over two days)Fan works
- Dec. 31At the 47th Japan Record Awards, Koda Kumi's "Butterfly" wins the Grand PrixMusic
- YouTube site registeredThe first video follows in April
- TVXQ debuts in JapanStay With Me Tonight
- iTunes Music Store opensAbout 1 million songs at launch
- Foggy Japan Series Game 1Lotte go on to sweep Hanshin
- Seishun Amigo releasedA drama duo becomes a music unit
- AKB48 Theater opens20 members, about 250 seats
Buying, watching and going to shows all moved in new directions.
The Year’s Buzzword Awards
- Grand PrizeKoizumi gekijo ("Koizumi Theater," politics as show business)
- Tsutomu Takebe (Secretary-General, Liberal Democratic Party)
- Grand PrizeSoteinai (gai) ("within expectations (beyond expectations)," Horie's catchphrase)
- Takafumi Horie (President, Livedoor)
- Top 10Cool Biz
- Yuriko Koike (Minister of the Environment)
- Top 10Shikaku ("assassin," the party's hand-picked challengers against postal-privatization rebels)
- Recipient declined
- Top 10Choi moteoyaji ("the slightly popular middle-aged guy")
- Ichiro Kishida (Editor-in-Chief, LEON)
- Top 10Fooo! (catchphrase of comedian Razor Ramon HG)
- Razor Ramon HG
- Top 10Fuyuso (the "affluent class")
- Yoshikazu Tanaka (President, Sumishin Wealth Partners)
- Top 10Blog
- Kazuma (blogger of "Oniyome Nikki")
- Top 10Bobby Magic (praise for the managing style of Chiba Lotte manager Bobby Valentine)
- Saburo, Toshiaki Imae (Chiba Lotte Marines)
- Top 10Moe~ ("moe," deep affection for a character or thing, which went mainstream in 2005)
- Kanzen Maid Sengen (Akihabara maid group)
“Moe~” made the top ten, and the Akihabara maid unit Kanzen Maid Sengen received the prize. A fan-culture word for intense attachment to characters and the like became widely known that year. “Blog” and “Bobby Magic,” praising Lotte manager Bobby Valentine’s tactics, were also chosen. Jiyu Kokuminsha (in Japanese)
Fan spending was starting to draw attention too. A survey announced by Nomura Research Institute in October estimated the market size of enthusiast groups in 12 areas, including anime, games, entertainers and travel, at about ¥411 billion (roughly $2.7 billion). It does not cover the same scope as today’s oshi-katsu market, but it was an example of surveying people who spend money on their hobbies across multiple fields. News coverage of the survey at the time, INTERNET Watch (in Japanese)
In 2006, Niconico Douga, which layers comments over videos, begins. It marks the start of the pleasure of watching other people’s reactions together with the video itself.
FAQ
How was "moe" treated at the 2005 buzzword awards?
"Moe~" made the top ten at the 22nd awards, and the Akihabara maid unit Kanzen Maid Sengen received the prize. The grand prizes that year went to "Koizumi Gekijo" (Koizumi theater) and "Sotei nai (gai)" (within (or beyond) expectations).
What was Nomura Research Institute's otaku market survey?
It was a survey announced on October 6, 2005. Covering 12 areas including anime, comics, games and travel, it estimated the market population at 1.72 million in total and the market size at ¥411 billion (roughly $2.7 billion) in total.
When did iTunes Music Store start in Japan?
On August 4, 2005. Partnering with 15 domestic record companies, it offered about 1 million songs at ¥150 or ¥200 each.
How much did mixi grow in 2005?
It started a premium membership service in January, then reached 1 million members in August and 2 million in December. From 200,000 the previous November, that is roughly a tenfold increase in about a year.
How well did "Seishun Amigo" sell?
Released on November 2, 2005, it passed a million copies in its fourth week on the chart, reaching a cumulative 1.059 million at that point. It was the first million-selling single of the year.
When did the AKB48 theater open?
On December 8, 2005, in Akihabara. It seated about 250 people, and the group started with 20 first-generation members. Their major debut came in October 2006.
