Oshi-Katsu Chronicle 2011: The Great East Japan Earthquake, LINE's Debut, and Nadeshiko Japan's World Cup Win

On March 11, 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake struck, causing devastating damage across the disaster region and halting live entertainment nationwide. As concerts were canceled or postponed and broadcast schedules changed, artists began organizing donation drives and visiting affected communities.

In June the messaging app LINE launched, and in July the Japan women’s national soccer team, “Nadeshiko Japan,” won the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time. That same July brought the transition to terrestrial digital broadcasting, while anime titles such as Puella Magi Madoka Magica, TIGER & BUNNY, and Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day inspired passionate fan communities.

Concerts Canceled and Postponed After the Quake, and Donations and Visits Begin

Immediately after the earthquake, disrupted transport and rolling blackouts forced many venues, especially in eastern Japan, to suspend operations. Concert and theater cancellations and postponements were announced one after another. Natalie Music’s record of events at the time (in Japanese)

On March 13, the rock band RADWIMPS launched a relief-donation site called “Itoshiki.” Singer Takanori Nishikawa also founded the charity project “STAND UP! JAPAN,” converting a planned venue event into a marathon live-streamed broadcast on April 2 to gather support nationwide while conserving power. Record of relief activities (in Japanese)

For three days starting April 1, talents from Johnny & Associates gathered outside Yoyogi National Gymnasium for the “Marching J” street fundraising event, drawing a combined 389,000 fans. Groups including SMAP and Arashi called for disaster relief, and in June Arashi held the charity event “Arashi no Waku-Waku Gakko” at Tokyo Dome.

The AKB48 Group launched the “Dareka no Tame ni” (“For Someone”) project and visited the towns of Otsuchi and Yamada in Iwate Prefecture on May 22. Mini-concerts performed on flatbed trucks and visits with residents continued almost monthly across the disaster region. AKB48 official (in Japanese)

The quake yearVenues closed, ties stayed

• Relief siteRADWIMPS, March 13
• Charity streamTakanori Nishikawa, April 2
• Visits to the regionAKB48 Group, from May 22
• Oshi's postsA way fans learned of drives

Some events changed shape, and some performers went to the audience instead.

Nadeshiko Japan’s First Title, with Homare Sawa as MVP and Top Scorer

In the FIFA Women’s World Cup final in Frankfurt on July 17 (early July 18 in Japan), Japan faced the United States. Twice falling behind, Japan equalized through goals by Aya Miyama and Homare Sawa to finish extra time at 2–2. Aided by goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori’s saves, Japan won the penalty shootout 3–1 to claim Asia’s first senior World Cup title for men or women. Japan Football Association (in Japanese)

Captain Homare Sawa finished as the tournament’s top scorer with five goals, including her late extra-time equalizer, and was named tournament MVP.

2-2

Score after extra time against the United States

3-1

Penalty shootout won by Japan

5

Goals by Homare Sawa, the top scorer

Source: Japan Football Association

Nadeshiko Japan

Won the final against the United States on penalties for its first World Cup title.

Homare Sawa

Five goals over the tournament. Two individual awards: best player and top scorer.

On August 18, Nadeshiko Japan became the first group recipient of the People’s Honor Award. Domestic Nadeshiko League matches drew huge crowds as fans learned each player’s nickname and playing style. Record of the award (in Japanese)

AKB48’s “Flying Get,” and Momoclo Becomes a Five-Member “Z”

At the 3rd AKB48 General Election at Nippon Budokan on June 9, Atsuko Maeda reclaimed first place with 139,892 votes, followed by Yuko Oshima (122,843 votes) in second and Yuki Kashiwagi (74,252 votes) in third. ORICON NEWS (in Japanese)

Reflecting the vote, the single “Flying Get” sold 1.026 million copies on its first day and won the Japan Record Award at year’s end. AKB48 achieved million-seller status with all five of its 2011 singles—including “Everyday, Katyusha,” “Sakura no Ki ni Narou,” “Kaze wa Fuiteiru,” and “Ue kara Mariko”—sweeping the top five spots on the annual chart. Japan Composers Association (in Japanese)

In Momoiro Clover, sub-leader Akari Hayami departed after the April 10 concert at Nakano Sun Plaza. At the end of that show, a surprise announcement revealed that the remaining five members would be renamed “Momoiro Clover Z.” Announcement that day, Natalie Music (in Japanese)

Now a five-member group, Momoiro Clover Z released their first album Battle and Romance in July and played to 10,000 fans at Saitama Super Arena on Christmas Day.

K-pop groups also staged major arena tours. Girls’ Generation drew 140,000 fans on their first Japan arena tour starting in May, and their first Japanese album GIRLS’ GENERATION shipped over one million copies. On New Year’s Eve, Girls’ Generation and KARA made their Kohaku Uta Gassen debuts alongside the newly restarted duo TVXQ. Report on the announcement of performers (in Japanese)

Theorizing Over Madoka Magica, TIGER & BUNNY, and Anohana Pilgrimages in Chichibu

Beginning its late-night broadcast in January, Puella Magi Madoka Magica (directed by Akiyuki Shinbo, written by Gen Urobuchi, animated by Shaft) was an original anime about the choice to become a magical girl. From Episode 3 onward, its dark turn away from the cheerful tone suggested by its cute character designs sparked intense discussion. Introduction at the time, MOVIE WALKER PRESS (in Japanese)

Because it had no original manga or novel, no one knew the ending in advance. Viewers analyzed dialogue and visual motifs on message boards and Twitter to predict what would happen next.

After the March earthquake suspended broadcasts, the remaining episodes aired in April. On MBS, Episodes 11 and 12 aired back to back late on April 21 to a huge real-time audience. Aniplex’s notice at the time (in Japanese) / Broadcast information from Nitroplus, the scriptwriter’s company (in Japanese)

Spring anime beginning in April also inspired active fan participation. In Sunrise’s original superhero anime TIGER & BUNNY, the heroes’ suits carried logos of real-world corporate sponsors. Episodes streamed simultaneously on Ustream, and the finale held all-night live viewings in movie theaters nationwide.

Airing in the Noitamina block that April, Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day depicted six childhood friends in Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture. Fans flocked to real locations such as Chichibu Bridge and Jorinji Temple, making Chichibu Railway commemorative tickets and local festival collaborations a model for anime pilgrimage tourism. Chichibu Anime Tourism Committee (Chichibu City) (in Japanese)

In July, Uta no Prince-sama: Maji LOVE 1000%, adapted from a romance game for women, sent songs by its idol unit ST☆RISH high up the Oricon charts. Steins;Gate and Fate/Zero also won devoted followings, while Comic Market 80 in summer drew about 540,000 attendees and Comic Market 81 in winter drew about 500,000. Report on the summer event (in Japanese) / Report on the winter event (in Japanese)

The Digital TV Transition, Kaseifu no Mita, and the Marumo no Okite Dance

At noon on July 24, analog television broadcasting ended in 44 prefectures (excluding Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima, which were granted extensions until March 2012 after the quake), completing the nationwide switch to terrestrial digital broadcasting (“Chideji”). Households upgraded to widescreen flat-panel HD televisions and hard-disk/Blu-ray recorders, making it standard practice for fans to record and archive high-definition appearances by their favorite idols, bands, and voice actors. Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (in Japanese)

In television drama, Nippon TV’s autumn Wednesday series Kaseifu no Mita (I’m Mita, Your Housekeeper, written by Kazuhiko Yukawa and starring Nanako Matsushima as an expressionless housekeeper carrying out every order with the phrase “Shochi shimashita” [“Certainly”]) became a social phenomenon, reaching a 40.0% household rating in Kanto for its December 21 finale, while Gen Hoshino’s acoustic coupling song “Kudaranai no Naka ni” also drew attention that spring. In Fuji TV’s spring Sunday drama Marumo no Okite, child actors Mana Ashida and Fuku Suzuki sang the ending theme “Maru Maru Mori Mori!” as the unit Kaoru to Tomoki, Tamani Mook, whose choreography spread across kindergartens and elementary schools nationwide.

In cinemas, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (¥9.67 billion) concluded the ten-year film series. Among Japanese films, Studio Ghibli’s From Up on Poppy Hill (Kokuriko-zaka kara) directed by Goro Miyazaki led at ¥4.46 billion, followed by Koki Mitani’s courtroom comedy A Ghost of a Chance (Suteki na Kanashibari, ¥4.28 billion).

LINE Arrives, Adding Calls and Stickers to Messaging

On June 23, NHN Japan (as it was then called) launched the messaging app LINE. Developed after the Great East Japan Earthquake made phone lines and carrier email difficult to reach, the app began as a tool for text messaging among close contacts. Interview on its development (in Japanese) / June 23 launch announcement, LINE official blog (in Japanese)

June 23Launch

At first it centered on exchanging messages.

October 4Update

Free voice calls and stickers were added.

October 4 update record, LINE official blog (in Japanese)

Stickers that conveyed feelings without typing and group chats quickly became indispensable not only for everyday conversation, but also for coordinating concert trips and ticket applications among fans.

READYFOR Launches, Introducing Projects and Gathering Support

On March 29, Japan’s first crowdfunding platform, READYFOR, opened. The service lets creators present a project online and gather small contributions from supporters. READYFOR company history (in Japanese)

Beyond buying finished merchandise at a store, backing an upcoming project in exchange for rewards or credit listings began spreading in Japan that year—a model later used for anime film production, fan-funded advertisements, and commemorative events.

The Nintendo 3DS Launches, with a Summer Price Cut and New Games by Year’s End

On February 26, Nintendo released the Nintendo 3DS handheld console, which displayed glasses-free 3D visuals on its upper screen and built in “StreetPass” wireless data exchange for players carrying the console in town. Nintendo’s product page (in Japanese)

Initially priced at ¥25,000, the console received a major price cut to ¥15,000 on August 11. Early buyers were offered the “Ambassador Program,” which provided 20 free Famicom and Game Boy Advance titles. Nintendo’s price-revision announcement (in Japanese) / Notice to existing purchasers (in Japanese)

With Super Mario 3D Land in November, eight-player online racing in Mario Kart 7 on December 1, and Monster Hunter 3 (Tri) G on December 10, hardware sales surged during the year-end holidays. Nintendo’s game page (in Japanese)

Key Events of the Year

1. Jan.TV anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica begins broadcastingAnime
2. Feb. 26Nintendo 3DS goes on sale (¥25,000)Games
3. Mar. 11The Great East Japan Earthquake strikesSociety
4. Mar. 29The crowdfunding service "READYFOR" launchesTechnology
5. Apr. 10Momoiro Clover is renamed Momoiro Clover ZIdols
6. May 22The AKB48 group visits Otsuchi and Yamada in Iwate PrefectureSupport
7. Jun. 9At the 3rd AKB48 General Election, Atsuko Maeda makes a comeback to take 1st placeIdols
8. Jun. 23The messaging app "LINE" launchesTechnology
9. Jul. 18Nadeshiko Japan win the Women's World Cup for the first time (Japan time)Sports
10. Aug. 11The Nintendo 3DS price is cut to ¥15,000Games
11. Aug. 12–14Comic Market 80 (about 540,000 total visits over three days)Fan works
12. Aug.Nadeshiko Japan receive the People's Honour Award, the first given to a teamSports
13. Oct. 4LINE adds free calls and stickersNetworking
14. Nov. 30The 62nd NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen lineup is announced, with Girls' Generation and KARA appearing for the first timeMusic
15. Dec. 1Mario Kart 7 is released for the Nintendo 3DSGames
16. Dec. 1At the 28th Buzzwords of the Year awards, "Nadeshiko Japan" wins the Grand PrizeMedia
17. Dec.At the 53rd Japan Record Awards, AKB48's "Flying Get" wins the Grand PrixMusic
18. Dec. 29–31Comic Market 81 (about 500,000 total visits over three days)Fan works

1. JanMadoka Magica begins airing
2. Feb 26Nintendo 3DS goes on sale
3. Mar 11Great East Japan Earthquake
4. Jun 93rd AKB48 general election
5. Jun 23LINE launches
6. Jul 17Nadeshiko Japan wins the World Cup
7. Dec 31Girls' Generation and KARA at Kohaku

The Year’s Buzzword Awards

Grand PrizeNadeshiko Japan (the Japan women's national football team)

Japan Football Association

Top 10Kizuna ("bonds")

—

Top 10Sumaho (smartphone)

—

Top 10Dojo naikaku (the "loach cabinet," a modest government)

Yoshihiko Noda

Top 10Doya-gao (a smug, "ta-da!" face; "doya" is Kansai dialect)

Recipient declined

Top 10Kitaku nanmin (stranded commuters who could not get home)

—

Top 10Kodama deshoka ("Is it an echo?" from the AC Japan public-service ad after the earthquake)

AC Japan

Top 103.11 (March 11, the Great East Japan Earthquake)

Yukio Edano (then Chief Cabinet Secretary; Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry)

Top 10Fuhyo higai (damage from harmful rumors)

—

Top 10Love chunyu ("love injection," comedian Tanoshingo's catchphrase)

Tanoshingo (comedian)

The grand prize in Japan’s annual Buzzword of the Year awards went to “Nadeshiko Japan.” The top ten included earthquake-related terms such as “Kizuna” (bonds), “3.11,” “Kitaku nanmin” (stranded commuters), and “Fuhyo higai” (reputational damage), along with “sumaho” (smartphone) and “Love chunyu.” Jiyu Kokuminsha (in Japanese)

“Oshimen,” the fan term for the group member one supports most, was among the 60 nominees. Though it did not make the top ten, its nomination showed how widely the word had spread by 2011. Report on the nominees (in Japanese)

In 2012, we trace AKB48’s Tokyo Dome shows, Momoiro Clover Z’s first Kohaku appearance, and the spread of smartphone games.