EXPLORE THE THEME
Idols & Music
From one song to a life of support
One song, and before you know it you are following someone’s whole journey. Auditions, songs, live shows and social media reveal why artists come to be supported.
5 articles 17 podcast episodes
START HERE
How to explore this theme
Once you know hako-oshi and the basics of live shows, jump to the artists you care about. New here? Try Episode 62 on Monaki. For how long-running groups work, try Episodes 31 and 63.
READ & DISCOVER
Articles and glossary terms
From the key words to real cases.
- 01Glossary
What Is Hako-Oshi? Meaning, How It Differs From Tan-Oshi and the Perks of Loving the Whole Group
Hako-oshi means backing a whole group instead of one member. Learn what "hako" means, how it differs from tan-oshi, its benefits and example sentences.
- 02Events
Your First Japanese Live Concert: What to Bring, What to Wear and How to Behave
A complete first-timer's guide to a live concert in Japan: getting tickets, what to pack, what to wear, the day's flow, venue etiquette and how to enjoy the afterglow.
- 03Glossary
What Is Setori? Setlist Etiquette, Spoiler Manners and How Japanese Fans Enjoy Them
Setori is Japanese fan shorthand for a concert setlist. The slang, spoiler etiquette during tours, and how fans predict, record and revisit setlists.
- 04Glossary
What Is Furi-Copy? Copying the Choreography at Concerts, With Manners
Furi-copy is copying the dance while watching a concert or music video. How fans learn it, how to do it considerately in a venue, and why not dancing is fine too.
- 05Glossary
What Is Sumin (Streaming)? Inside the K-Pop Fan Culture of Boosting Play Counts
Sumin is short for streaming: K-pop fans replaying their oshi's songs to boost chart results. Its origin, how to join from Japan, what to avoid and how to pace yourself.
PODCAST STORIES
Go deeper with the podcast
English summaries, and every episode has English subtitles.
- #63
Why Does =LOVE Keep Thriving? Rino Sashihara's "Don't Skip a Step" Strategy
How the idol group =LOVE went from small venues to two sold-out nights at the National Stadium in nine years, and what its step-by-step growth teaches.
- #62
1.7 Billion Views: How Monaki Won Over TikTok's Generation and Showa-Era Music Fans
How the four-man group Monaki, average age 33, turned viral clips into real fans by pairing TikTok discovery with the face-to-face support culture of Showa-era kayokyoku.
- #44
Why M!LK Took Off: Old Media's Decline and a New Fandom Marketing Strategy
M!LK's rise began on social media, not TV. How short videos, easy-to-copy dance moves and CDs turned fans into the spreaders of a hit.
- #39
50 Years of J-Rock: From Southern All Stars to Mrs. GREEN APPLE and Vaundy
A fifty-year tour of Japanese rock fandom, from Southern All Stars, X and GLAY to Mrs. GREEN APPLE and Vaundy, and how the doors into a band keep changing.
- #38
Arashi's 27 Years and the New Kind of Fandom They Leave Behind
How Arashi's pause and planned end of group activities reshape oshi-katsu: caring for memory, respecting members' lives, and staying fans without daily news.
- #37
How No No Girls Turned Being Told 'No' Into Hope Through HANA
The audition project No No Girls, produced by Chanmina, started from rejection and grew into the group HANA. How process, difference and consent shaped the fandom.
- #33
Kohaku Becomes an Oshi's Big Stage: How a National Program Has Changed
Kohaku once drew an 81.4% TV rating. Today it is a stage where fans celebrate their oshi's year, and what 'national event' means has changed with it.
- #31
Why Is Morning Musume Still Loved? 28 Years of Lasting Fandom Built on Shared Stories
From a 50,000-CD challenge in five days to constant graduations and new members, how Morning Musume turned its story into something fans co-own.
- #30
Why Does Snow Man Keep Selling? The Stage-to-Backstage Gap and Media Strategy (Part 2)
How Snow Man pairs precise stages with playful variety and YouTube, and how TV, video and social media each play a different role in keeping fans close.
- #29
Why Does Snow Man Keep Selling? The Road to Nine Members (Part 1)
How Snow Man's long junior years, six-member craft and 2019 expansion to nine shaped the group, and how to talk about hardship without glorifying it.
- #27
Takarazuka Revue and Oshi-katsu: 110 Years of Tradition and the Challenge of Renewal
Takarazuka's school, fan clubs and stage form a 110-year dream culture. A look at its unwritten fan rules, labor reforms and what keeps a tradition sustainable.
- #21
Why Heisei-Era J-pop Keeps Coming Back: How Old Songs Find New Fans on TikTok
How 2000s Japanese hits return through short videos, dance, overseas covers and memes, and how labels can back fan-led rediscovery instead of overriding it.
- #16
Reiwa-Era "New Kawaii": How FRUITS ZIPPER Went Viral
How the idol group FRUITS ZIPPER and its KAWAII LAB. project turned "cute" into something fans can join, with a 15-second chorus, sustainable care and a whole roster.
- #14
How K-pop Changed Oshi-Katsu Around the World: The Asia Edition
How organized K-pop fan action, charitable giving and China's 2021 crackdown show fandom as both a force for good and a source of pressure, with lessons for Asia.
- #12
The Birth of Idol Voice Actors? A History of Voice Acting and Today's Fandom
How Japanese voice actors went from radio performers hidden behind their roles to people fans support directly, and the safeguards that closer contact needs.
- #10
After timelesz project: A New Entertainment Economy Born from Rejection
Why fans keep supporting people who were not chosen, how LDH and BMSG built second-chance paths, and what public auditions owe the people in them.
- #5
Why the timelesz Project Is So Compelling: Japanese-Korean Audition History and a New Strategy
How an open audition for an active group, and the Korean survival-show tradition behind it, turned selection into a story fans could join.
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