Oshi-Katsu Chronicle 2006: First WBC, a Koshien Replay, Niconico Douga's Debut, and the Wii

In 2006, Japan became the first champion of the inaugural World Baseball Classic (WBC), in which professional players competed as representatives of their countries and regions. At the Turin Winter Olympics in February, Shizuka Arakawa won gold in women’s figure skating, and in summer the Koshien high school baseball final ended in a draw, keeping the entire nation glued to the broadcast for a replay the next day.

In music, KAT-TUN in March and AKB48 in October made their major-label debuts on CD. Omotesando Hills opened in Tokyo, while the Death Note films, the drama Nodame Cantabile, and the anime The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya cultivated devoted fan bases. At the end of the year, the Wii and PlayStation 3 went on sale one after another, and Niconico Douga—where viewer comments scroll directly across the video screen—began service.

Shizuka Arakawa at Turin, the First WBC Title, and Two Days of Koshien Finals

In women’s singles figure skating at the Turin Winter Olympics in February, Shizuka Arakawa won Japan’s first Olympic gold medal in the discipline. Her layback Ina Bauer—gliding across the ice with her upper body arched deeply backward—and her exhibition skate to “You Raise Me Up” left a lasting impression, spurring a surge in fans attending figure-skating competitions in person. Japanese Olympic Committee (in Japanese)

In March, the Japanese national baseball team led by manager Sadaharu Oh defeated Cuba 10–6 in the final of the inaugural WBC to claim the world title. The final was played on March 20 U.S. time (March 21 in Japan). Players from Japanese and Major League clubs, led by Ichiro Suzuki, wore the same national uniform, and Daisuke Matsuzaka—who earned three wins—was named tournament MVP. Nippon Professional Baseball, the final (in Japanese) / Matsuzaka’s award (in Japanese)

A crowd of 42,696 packed PETCO Park in San Diego for the final, where Japan jumped ahead with four runs in the first inning and added four more in the top of the ninth, capped by an Ichiro base hit. Nippon Professional Baseball: final (in Japanese)

At the 88th National High School Baseball Championship in summer, West Tokyo representative Waseda Jitsugyo and South Hokkaido representative Komadai Tomakomai met in the final. Across the country, fans watched the pitching duel between Waseda Jitsugyo’s third-year ace Yuki Saito and Komadai Tomakomai’s second-year ace Masahiro Tanaka, whose team was aiming for a third straight summer title. Waseda University’s retrospective (in Japanese)

1. August 20

   A 1-1 draw after 15 extra innings

   No champion was decided that day, and a replay was set for the next day.

2. August 21

   Waseda Jitsugyo wins its first title, 4-3

   People who had watched the previous day's game watched the same two schools play the final again.

Tournament records, Japan High School Baseball Federation (in Japanese)

From the sight of Saito pulling a neatly folded blue handkerchief from his pocket on the mound to dab away his sweat, the nickname “Handkerchief Prince” (Hankachi Ouji) spread nationwide. Buzzword awards (in Japanese)

In the autumn Japan Series, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters—led by Tsuyoshi Shinjo, who had announced he would retire at the end of the season—defeated the Chunichi Dragons four games to one. It was the franchise’s first Japan Series title in 44 years (since its era as the Toei Flyers) and its first since relocating to Hokkaido. Manager Trey Hillman’s jubilant cry of “Shinjirarena~i!” (“Unbelievable!”) was also selected at the year-end buzzword awards. Japan Series records (in Japanese) / Buzzwords (in Japanese)

KAT-TUN and AKB48: Groups Fans Were Backing Make Their CD Debuts

On March 22, the six-member group KAT-TUN, who had already headlined Tokyo Dome concerts before their debut, made their long-awaited CD debut with the single “Real Face.” Shikao Suga wrote the lyrics and B’z guitarist Tak Matsumoto composed the music. Released simultaneously with the album Best of KAT-TUN and the video release Real Face Film, the single passed 1 million copies in its ninth week and finished No. 1 on the annual singles chart. Label official site, “Real Face” (in Japanese) / CD and video set (in Japanese)

AKB48, who had begun performing at their dedicated theater in Akihabara the previous December, made their major-label debut on DefSTAR Records on October 25 with “Aitakatta” (“I Wanted to See You”). Earlier in the year, they had released their first indie single “Sakura no Hanabiratachi” on February 1 and “Skirt, Hirari” in June, expanding their reach step by step alongside the fans who commuted to the theater. AKB48 (in Japanese) / Sony Music’s performance records (in Japanese)

KAT-TUN

The "Real Face" DVD included music videos plus behind-the-scenes footage of the making and interviews.

AKB48

Their first concert at Nihon Seinenkan in November. There was a chance to see them perform at venues other than their dedicated theater.

Contents of “Real Face Film” (in Japanese) / Record of AKB48’s first concert (in Japanese)

Singing “Junrenka” at Karaoke, and a New Lineup for EXILE

The love song “Junrenka,” released on March 8 by the four-member reggae group Shonan no Kaze, ran for more than seven minutes yet spread through word of mouth and mobile ringtones, holding No. 1 on the karaoke chart for 25 consecutive weeks. THE FIRST TIMES (in Japanese)

At EXILE, vocalist SHUN left on March 29, and the group began moving toward its “Chapter 2.” Performer AKIRA joined on June 6, and on September 22 TAKAHIRO was chosen out of roughly 10,000 applicants at the Nippon Budokan final of “EXILE VOCAL BATTLE AUDITION 2006 ASIAN DREAM,” launching the group’s new seven-member era. Natalie Music (in Japanese) / AKIRA’s joining date (in Japanese) / TAKAHIRO’s joining date (in Japanese)

Because the audition process was broadcast weekly on television, fans watched the moment the new vocalist was chosen before welcoming the new lineup’s first single, “Everything,” in December. EXILE official site (in Japanese)

At the 48th Japan Record Awards at year’s end, Kiyoshi Hikawa won the Grand Prix with “Ikken.” Kumi Koda won Best Vocal Performance for “Yume no Uta,” and Ayaka—whose ballad “Mikazuki” became a hit—won Best New Artist. Kobukuro’s compilation ALL SINGLES BEST became a long-running seller of more than 3 million copies, while piano singer-songwriter Angela Aki and DJ OZMA’s party anthem “Age♂Age♂EVERY☆Knight” also energized music charts and karaoke rooms. Japan Composers Association (in Japanese)

Omotesando Hills Opens, Along With Death Note and Nodame Cantabile

On February 11, the commercial complex “Omotesando Hills,” designed by architect Tadao Ando, opened on the site of the historic Dojunkai Aoyama Apartments along Tokyo’s tree-lined Omotesando avenue. Inside the low-rise building, designed to match the height of the zelkova trees outside, a continuous spiral slope linked the shops, and weekend lines of visitors seeking fashion and limited-edition sweets filled the avenue. Mori Building (in Japanese)

In cinemas, the two-part live-action adaptation of Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata’s manga DEATH NOTE earned ¥2.85 billion with the first film in June and ¥5.2 billion with the नवंबर sequel DEATH NOTE: The Last Name. The battle of wits between Tatsuya Fujiwara as protagonist Light Yagami and Kenichi Matsuyama as the sweets-loving detective L captivated audiences, and a late-night TV anime adaptation also began airing in October. While Studio Ghibli’s Tales from Earthsea (Gedo Senki) topped Japanese films at ¥7.65 billion, director Mamoru Hosoda’s animated feature The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (Toki wo Kakeru Shojo) opened in just six theaters in July and expanded nationwide through word of mouth, inspiring repeat viewings and location pilgrimages. Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan (in Japanese)

In autumn television dramas, Fuji TV’s Monday-night adaptation of Tomoko Ninomiya’s manga Nodame Cantabile became a sensation. Starring Juri Ueno as free-spirited piano student Megumi Noda (“Nodame”) and Hiroshi Tamaki as aspiring conductor Shinichi Chiaki, the series comically portrayed the growth of music-college students. Classical compilation CDs featuring pieces performed in the show—such as Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue—sold in extraordinary numbers and brought wave after wave of young listeners to orchestra concert halls.

Haruhi’s Dance and KAITO: Making Songs and Dances, Not Just Watching

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, broadcast late at night starting in April and produced by Kyoto Animation from Nagaru Tanigawa’s light novels, followed high school freshman Haruhi Suzumiya—who declares she has “no interest in ordinary humans”—and the members of her school club, the SOS Brigade. Kyoto Animation (in Japanese)

In the ending sequence “Hare Hare Yukai,” Haruhi and the cast perform a crisp, synchronized dance routine. Memorizing the choreography to perform at school festivals or in public plazas and uploading the footage online laid the groundwork for the dance-cover video culture later known as odotte mita (“I tried dancing it”). The same year also saw the TV anime premieres of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Gintama, and Katekyo Hitman REBORN!, broadening the ranks of fans who supported specific characters and voice actors.

Official record by lyricist Aki Hata (in Japanese)

On February 17, Crypton Future Media released “KAITO,” PC software that synthesizes a male singing voice. When a user entered lyrics and a melody, the software sang them back using voice samples recorded by singer Naoto Fuga. Crypton (in Japanese)

KAITO was the world’s first Japanese male vocal library built on Yamaha’s VOCALOID engine, and its product name was chosen by public submission. Depicted on the box as a young man wearing a blue scarf, KAITO was later rediscovered after Hatsune Miku’s arrival in 2007, appearing as an older-brother figure across thousands of fan-made songs and illustrated videos. Crypton (in Japanese)

Niconico Douga Starts: Impressions of the Same Scene Scroll Across the Screen

On December 12, Dwango subsidiary Niwango launched “Niconico Douga (Provisional)” as an experimental service. In its early days, it called up videos hosted on external sites such as YouTube and scrolled viewer comments from right to left directly over the playback screen. Dwango (in Japanese) / Interview with the operating company (in Japanese)

Its defining feature was that each comment was anchored not to the date it was posted, but to the exact timestamp inside the video. Even when viewers watched alone at different times of day, reactions piled up simultaneously at the climax or punchline of a clip, creating the shared excitement of watching together in a live venue or living room.

1. 01Play a videoFrom YouTube and elsewhere
2. 02Type a commentAt the scene that moved you
3. 03Pinned to the timingTied to the playback position
4. 04Seen by later viewersAt the same scene

Watching alone still felt like watching together.

Someone writes a commentThey enter their impression at a scene that caught their attention.

→

It scrolls across later viewers' screens tooWhen you play that scene, the earlier viewers' words overlap it.

An introduction to the early service, INTERNET Watch (in Japanese)

The Wii, PS3, and Nendoroid: Playing at Home, Displaying Characters

Next-generation home video game consoles arrived one after another at the end of the year. On November 11, Sony Computer Entertainment released the PlayStation 3 (PS3), equipped with Blu-ray Disc playback. Then on December 2, Nintendo launched the Wii at ¥25,000 (tax included), controlled by swinging the wand-shaped one-handed Wii Remote. Nintendo (in Japanese)

In the tennis and bowling games of Wii Sports, players swung the remote like an actual racket or bowling ball. In portable gaming, the sleeker Nintendo DS Lite—released in March—remained in short supply for months, and Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, released on September 28, let players trade and battle Pokémon with trainers around the world over the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Nintendo, Wii Sports (in Japanese)

2006 releases, Good Smile Company (archive) (in Japanese)

Launched by Good Smile Company, the palm-sized chibi figure line “Nendoroid” allowed fans to swap facial expressions and props to display characters on their desks or photograph them on outings, becoming a staple of character-goods culture. At the fan-made book fair Comic Market, Comic Market 70 in summer drew 430,000 attendees over three days and Comic Market 71 in winter drew 440,000 over three days. Comic Market Preparation Committee (in Japanese)

430,000

Total attendees, Comic Market 70 (summer)

440,000

Total attendees, Comic Market 71 (winter)

Source: Comic Market Preparation Committee

Key Events of the Year

1. Feb. 1AKB48 announces its indie single "Sakura no Hanabiratachi"Idols
2. Feb.The Nendoroid series begins with its first figure, NekoarcMerch
3. Feb. 17KAITO, software that synthesizes a male singing voice, is releasedMusic
4. Mar. 8Shonan no Kaze releases "Junrenka," which tops the karaoke chart for 25 straight weeksMusic
5. Mar. 21Japan wins the first WBC (Japan time)Sports
6. Mar. 22KAT-TUN debuts with "Real Face"Music
7. Apr.–Jul.The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, first season, airs (14 episodes in all)Anime
8. Aug. 11–13Comic Market 70 (430,000 total visits over three days)Fan works
9. Aug. 20–21The Koshien final ends in a draw, and Waseda Jitsugyo wins its first title in the replay the next daySports
10. Sep. 14mixi is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers marketMedia
11. Sep. 22TAKAHIRO, chosen through an audition, joins EXILEMusic
12. Oct. 25AKB48 makes its major debut with "Aitakatta"Idols
13. Oct. 26Nippon-Ham wins the Japan Series, its first title in 44 yearsSports
14. Dec. 123rd Buzzwords of the Year awards: Grand Prizes to "Inabauer" and "Hinkaku"Society
15. Dec. 2Nintendo's home game console Wii is released in JapanGames
16. Dec. 12Niconico Douga starts a trial serviceMedia
17. Dec. 29–31Comic Market 71 (440,000 total visits over three days)Fan works
18. Dec.48th Japan Record Awards: Kiyoshi Hikawa's "Ikken" wins the Grand PrixMusic

1. March 20Japan wins the first WBCA 10-6 final over Cuba
2. March 22KAT-TUN's "Real Face"CD, album and video together
3. AprilHaruhi Suzumiya beginsThe ending dance spreads online
4. October 25AKB48's major debutAitakatta
5. December 2Wii goes on salePlay by moving the remote
6. December 12Niconico Douga opens as a trialComments scroll over videos

Cheering, buying and commenting all found new forms.

The Year’s Buzzword Awards

Grand PrizeInabauer (the Ina Bauer, a backward-arching figure-skating pose, Arakawa's signature move)

Shizuka Arakawa (professional skater)

Grand PrizeHinkaku (dignity)

Masahiko Fujiwara

Top 10Ero-kakkoii ("sexy-cool")

Kumi Koda

Top 10Kakusa shakai (a divided, unequal society)

Masahiro Yamada

Top 10Shinjirarena~i ("Unbelievable~")

Trey Hillman

Top 10Tarako, tarako, tarako (jingle from the Kewpie "Tarako Kewpie" commercial)

Kigurumi (elementary-school unit)

Top 10Noh-tore (brain training)

Ryuta Kawashima

Top 10Handkerchief Prince (Hankachi Oji, nickname of Waseda Jitsugyo pitcher Yuki Saito)

Yuki Saito

Top 10mixi (social networking service)

Kenji Kasahara

Top 10Metabolic syndrome

The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine

At the 23rd Buzzword of the Year Awards, the grand prizes went to “Ina Bauer” and “Hinkaku” (“dignity”), popularized by Masahiko Fujiwara’s bestseller The Dignity of the Nation. “Ina Bauer” became synonymous with Turin Winter Olympic gold medalist Shizuka Arakawa, who attended the awards ceremony in person. Jiyu Kokuminsha (in Japanese)

Alongside summer Koshien sensation “Handkerchief Prince” and Nippon-Ham’s championship catchphrase “Shinjirarena~i,” the top ten also included the social network name “mixi” and “Ero-kakkoii (Ero-kawaii).”

In the next article, 2007, the virtual singer Hatsune Miku went on sale, setting off a wave of music and illustration uploads across Niconico Douga and the newly launched Japanese version of YouTube, while anime pilgrimages to Washinomiya Shrine in Saitama for Lucky Star entered a new stage of cooperation between fans and the local community.