Oshi-Katsu Chronicle 2019: Arashi Joins Social Media, Demon Slayer and Band Theme Songs, and Rugby's ONE TEAM

In 2019, the thirty-year Heisei era came to a close on April 30 and the new Reiwa era began on May 1. In music, Arashi—celebrating the 20th anniversary of their debut—announced a hiatus for the end of the following year while launching an official YouTube channel, social media accounts, and subscription streaming so fans could enjoy their songs and videos in everyday life on their smartphones.

In anime, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba grew from its TV broadcast into a nationwide phenomenon, and in autumn the Rugby World Cup hosted in Japan saw the national team reach the quarterfinals for the first time under the slogan “ONE TEAM.”

From Heisei to Reiwa, and Photographing Tapioca Drinks with Acrylic Stands

On the morning of April 1, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga held up calligraphy announcing the new era name “Reiwa,” drawn from the preface to the plum-blossom poems in the Man’yoshu. Emperor Akihito abdicated on April 30 to close the 30 years and four months of Heisei, and Emperor Naruhito acceded to the throne on May 1 to begin Reiwa, accompanied by an unprecedented 10-day Golden Week holiday and celebratory countdown concerts across the country. Prime Minister’s Office of Japan (in Japanese)

On city streets, Taiwanese-style bubble-tea stands opened one after another in Harajuku, Shibuya, and station plazas nationwide in a “Third Tapioca Boom.” The verb “tapiru” (going out for tapioca milk tea) became a buzzword, and photographing a favorite character’s or idol’s acrylic stand (“akusuta”) or plush toy beside a cup logo to post on Instagram Stories became part of everyday fan culture.

Arashi Announces a Hiatus and Keeps Touring for Their 20th Anniversary

On January 27, the national idol group Arashi (Satoshi Ohno, Sho Sakurai, Masaki Aiba, Kazunari Ninomiya, and Jun Matsumoto), in their 20th anniversary year, announced via a fan-club video and an evening press conference that they would suspend group activities at the end of December 31, 2020, setting aside nearly two years to express their gratitude to fans. Report on the announcement at the time (in Japanese)

Their anniversary tour ARASHI Anniversary Tour 5×20, which had begun in November of the previous year, continued through the final show at Tokyo Dome on December 25, 2019. Spanning 50 shows across Japan’s five major domes, it drew an all-time Japanese music record of 2,375,000 fans, with the December 25 finale also screened live at 329 movie theaters nationwide for roughly 190,000 viewers. Official introduction of the video release (in Japanese)

Arashi20 years since debut

• Tour 5x2050 shows across five big domes
• Best-of albumReleased in June
• YouTubeOfficial channel opened October 9
• Social mediaFive official accounts on November 3
• StreamingAll singles by November

A stage tour and an on-phone presence ran side by side.

On June 26, they released the four-disc all-time best album 5×20 All the BEST!! 1999-2019, compiling all 63 single title tracks from “A・RA・SHI” to “Kimi no Uta” plus the 20th anniversary song “5×20”; topping two million copies, it was certified by Guinness World Records as the world’s best-selling album of 2019. Official track list (in Japanese)

Arashi’s Social Media and Streaming Launch, Johnny Kitagawa’s Passing, and SixTONES & Snow Man’s Debut News

Arashi opened their official YouTube channel on October 9, releasing music videos and five songs for streaming, and on their 20th debut anniversary on November 3 they simultaneously launched official accounts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Weibo while making all 65 single title tracks—including their first digital single “Turning Up”—available for subscription streaming and download. Report on opening day (in Japanese)

1. October

   Watching official video on YouTube

   An official channel opens and music videos are released.

2. October

   Music streaming of five songs began

   Besides CDs, streaming became another way to hear the songs.

3. November

   Social media opens, and all 65 singles are streamed

   On November 3, the 20th anniversary of their debut, they expanded their outreach and streaming.

The November 3 release covered their single title tracks from debut through “BRAVE” plus “Turning Up” (65 songs in total); album tracks and coupling songs were not all released at once on that day. AWA’s announcement at the start of streaming (in Japanese)

On July 9 of the same year, Johnny & Associates founder Johnny Kitagawa passed away at age 87, and a memorial service at Tokyo Dome on September 4 was attended by 154 agency talents and roughly 88,000 fans. Earlier, on August 8 at the Tokyo Dome concert Johnny’s Jr. 8.8 Matsuri Tokyo Dome kara Hajimaru, it was announced that SixTONES and Snow Man—two groups that had built a strong following on the YouTube “Johnny’s Jr. Channel” opened the previous year—would make a simultaneous CD debut in January 2020. Natalie Music (in Japanese)

“Hakujitsu” and “Pretender”: Getting to Know Bands Through Dramas and Films

As streaming took hold, the four-piece mixture band King Gnu and the four-piece piano pop band Official HIGE DANdism (“Hige Dan”) broke through nationwide. On February 22, King Gnu digitally released “Hakujitsu” (“Broad Daylight”), the theme song of the NTV drama Innocence: Enzai Bengoshi, drawing wide acclaim for Satoru Iguchi’s falsetto and Daiki Tsuneta’s intricate arrangements. King Gnu’s record of the work (in Japanese) / Official notice at the time (in Japanese)

Hakujitsu uses a monochrome figure and open space rather than a lineup of the band. It gives a digital release a visual cover through which the song can be recognized.

On May 15, Official HIGE DANdism released the CD single “Pretender” (digitally pre-released April 17), the theme song of the film The Confidence Man JP: The Movie. Topping subscription streaming charts for months, both bands made their first appearance on NHK’s Kohaku Uta Gassen at year’s end. Hige Dan’s record of the work (in Japanese) / Release notice for the theme song (in Japanese) / Report on King Gnu’s first appearance (in Japanese) / Report on Hige Dan’s first appearance (in Japanese)

Pretender arranges glowing numeric displays across the cover. Devices and colored light create the single’s visual identity instead of a photographic portrait.

February 22King Gnu, "Hakujitsu"

Released digitally as the theme song of the drama Innocence: Enzai Bengoshi.

May 15Official HIGE DANDISM, "Pretender"

Released on CD as the theme song of the film The Confidence Man JP.

Year-endKohaku Uta Gassen

Both bands appeared for the first time.

Meanwhile, “Paprika”—written, composed, and produced by Kenshi Yonezu and performed by the five-kid unit Foorin—was danced at kindergartens and elementary schools across the country and won the 61st Japan Record Award. Among idol groups, Hiragana Keyakizaka46 announced on February 11 via SHOWROOM that it was renaming itself Hinatazaka46, and its March 27 debut single “Kyun” set a new first-week sales record for a female artist’s debut single (476,000 copies). Announcement of the renaming and debut (in Japanese)

BTS Goes to the Stadiums, TWICE Plays Its First Dome Tour, and PRODUCE 101 JAPAN Forms JO1

In July, BTS held their first Japanese stadium tour, BTS WORLD TOUR ‘LOVE YOURSELF: SPEAK YOURSELF’ – JAPAN EDITION, at Yanmar Stadium Nagai in Osaka (July 6–7) and Ecopa Stadium in Shizuoka (July 13–14), drawing about 210,000 fans across four shows. Article on the shows (in Japanese)

In March and April, TWICE staged their first Japanese dome tour, TWICE DOME TOUR 2019 “#Dreamday”, across five shows in Osaka, Tokyo, and Nagoya (220,000 attendees), introducing the “CANDY BONG Z” light stick linked via smartphone app to seat numbers for synchronized venue-wide lighting. Official tour schedule (in Japanese) / Official light stick guide (in Japanese)

Audition projects also flourished: Sony Music and JYP Entertainment announced the “Nizi Project” in February and held regional auditions across eight Japanese cities plus Hawaii and Los Angeles in July and August (ahead of the show’s Hulu premiere on January 31, 2020), while from September the survival audition program PRODUCE 101 JAPAN aired on TBS and GYAO!, culminating on December 11 in viewer (“National Producer”) votes forming the 11-member boy group JO1. Sony Music’s record of the project (in Japanese) / Official notice of the start of streaming (in Japanese)

Demon Slayer Becomes a TV Anime, and More People Read the Manga

From April 6 to September 28, the 26-episode TV anime Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc), animated by ufotable from Koyoharu Gotouge’s manga, aired with LiSA’s opening theme “Gurenge,” telling the story of Tanjiro Kamado fighting in the Demon Slayer Corps to turn his sister Nezuko back into a human. Anime official character page (in Japanese)

The first-season visual centres Tanjiro and Nezuko against a dark setting. Costume patterns and their pairing identify the series, separately from later film and story-arc visuals.

After Episode 19 (“Hinokami”) aired late on August 10 to widespread acclaim on social media for its breathtaking animation and insert song “Kamado Tanjiro no Uta,” viewers surged onto more than 20 streaming services including Amazon Prime Video and Netflix to binge-watch from Episode 1. Original manga volumes sold out at bookstores nationwide, and with Volume 18 on December 4 cumulative series circulation (including digital) reached 25 million copies—roughly seven times the 3.5 million copies when the anime began. Report on the announcement at the release of volume 18 (in Japanese)

In cinemas, Detective Conan: The Fist of Blue Sapphire (opened April 12) earned ¥9.37 billion, and director Makoto Shinkai’s Weathering With You (Tenki no Ko, opened July 19) topped the annual Japanese box office at ¥14.19 billion, while after the tragic arson attack on Kyoto Animation’s Studio 1 on July 18, anime fans and filmmakers around the world sent tributes and relief donations. Report after the film’s release (in Japanese)

The visual places a small figure above a broad expanse of clouds. Its sky-centred composition differs from the paired city figures of Your Name.

A Law Banning Improper Ticket Resale Takes Effect

On June 14, the Act on Ensuring the Proper Distribution of Entertainment Events Tickets by Prohibiting the Unauthorized Resale of Specified Entertainment Events Tickets (the Ticket Resale Ban Law) took effect, prohibiting the commercial resale of designated, seat-assigned tickets above face value without the organizer’s consent and accelerating the adoption of smartphone e-tickets, facial recognition entry, and official face-value resale platforms. Agency for Cultural Affairs explanation (in Japanese)

¥629.5 billion

Market size, roughly $4.2 billion

The highest total at the time since the statistics began in 2000.

Source: Pia Research Institute (in Japanese)

Pia Research Institute estimated the 2019 domestic live entertainment market at ¥629.5 billion (roughly $4.2 billion), up 7.4% year on year and marking the pre-pandemic peak since statistics began in 2000. Pia Research Institute’s final figures (in Japanese)

Japan’s Rugby Team Wins All Four Pool Games and Reaches the Quarterfinals for the First Time

Hosted in Asia for the first time across 12 venues from September 20 to November 2, the 2019 Rugby World Cup saw Japan’s national team—led by head coach Jamie Joseph and captain Michael Leitch—defeat higher-ranked Ireland and Scotland to top Pool A with four wins from four matches and reach the quarterfinals for the first time. Match records from the Japan Rugby Football Union (in Japanese)

Pool stage

Won all four games and finished first in Pool A.

First quarterfinal berth

Advanced to the knockout stage, which it had never reached before.

Quarterfinal

Lost to South Africa 26-3, ending its tournament.

The team’s unifying motto “ONE TEAM” and prop Keita Inagaki’s nickname “The Man Who Never Smiles” (Warawanai Otoko) drew huge popularity as casual fans donned replica jerseys at stadiums and public viewings.

Comic Market Goes to Four Days

With Tokyo Big Sight’s East Exhibition Halls unavailable ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Comic Market 96 in August and Comic Market 97 in December were held over four days for the first time, splitting venues between the West/South Halls in Ariake and the Aomi Exhibition Halls (corporate booths) and introducing paid admission wristbands as attendance reached 730,000 in summer and a record 750,000 in winter. Comic Market’s records of past events (in Japanese)

Key Events of the Year

1. Jan. 27Arashi announces a hiatus (starting after Dec. 31, 2020)Idols
2. Feb. 11Keyakizaka46 announces its renaming to "Hinatazaka46"Idols
3. Feb. 22King Gnu releases "Hakujitsu" for streaming; it becomes a drama theme songMusic
4. Mar. 27Hinatazaka46 releases its debut single "Kyun"Idols
5. Apr.–Sept.The TV anime "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" Season 1 airsAnime
6. May 1The era name changes from Heisei to ReiwaSociety
7. May 15Official HIGE DANdism's movie theme song "Pretender" is released on CDMusic
8. June 14The law banning illegal ticket resale takes effectSociety
9. July 6–14BTS holds its first stadium tour in Japan: 4 shows for 210,000 peopleMusic
10. July 19The film "Weathering With You" (directed by Makoto Shinkai) opensAnime
11. Aug. 9–12Comic Market 96 (730,000 total visits over 4 days)Fan works
12. Sept. 20The Rugby World Cup 2019 opens (through Nov. 2)Sports
13. Oct. 9Arashi opens an official YouTube channelMedia
14. Nov. 3Arashi opens 5 social media accounts and streams all of its singlesMedia
15. Nov. 27"Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" is announced to have passed 25 million copies in circulation (including digital)Anime
16. Dec. 2"ONE TEAM" is chosen as the Grand Prize of the Buzzwords of the Year awardsMedia

1. Jan 27Arashi announces a hiatus for the end of 2020
2. Apr 6Demon Slayer TV anime begins airing
3. May 1Reiwa era begins
4. Jun 14Ticket resale ban law takes effect
5. Jul & AugBTS stadium tour and SixTONES/Snow Man debut news
6. Sep 20Rugby World Cup opens in Japan
7. Nov 3Arashi opens social accounts and streams 65 singles

The Year’s Words and Buzzword Awards

Grand PrizeONE TEAM

Japan national rugby team

Top 10Keikaku unkyu ("planned suspension of service," trains halted in advance ahead of typhoons)

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

Top 10Keigen zeiritsu (reduced consumption-tax rate)

Hiromichi Akiba

Top 10Smiling Cinderella / Shibuko (golfer Hinako Shibuno)

Hinako Shibuno

Top 10Tapiru (to drink tapioca tea)

Karen and Nao (Tapiristo.)

Top 10#KuToo

Yumi Ishikawa

Top 10XX-pay ("___ Pay," cashless payment apps)

PayPay Corporation

Top 10Menkyo hennou (older drivers returning their driver's licenses)

No recipient

Top 10Yami eigyo ("underground gigs," comedians taking jobs without going through their agency)

FRIDAY editorial staff

Top 10Reiwa

Yoshitomo Onda

Selection Committee Special AwardKoukai nado arou hazu ga arimasen ("There's no way I have any regrets")

Ichiro Suzuki (Ichiro)

The grand prize went to Japan’s rugby motto “ONE TEAM,” while the top ten included the new era name “Reiwa,” “tapiru” (drinking tapioca milk tea), rugby prop Keita Inagaki’s moniker “Warawanai Otoko” (“The Man Who Never Smiles”), and cashless payment phrase “OO Pay.” 2019’s award-winning words (in Japanese)

In 2020, the global spread of COVID-19 forced cancellations and postponements of dome concerts, stage shows, and events, prompting fans and creators to pioneer new ways of cheering through online livestreams. On to Oshi-Katsu Chronicle 2020.