HISTORY

Oshi-Katsu Chronicle

52articles

Revisit the eras that shaped fandom, from Heian Japan to today.

Published articles, newest era first.

2010s9 articles

Namie Amuro's Retirement and "Lemon," the Streaming Shift, Hanyu's Olympic Repeat

Insta-Bae and TikTok, Kemono Friends, TWICE's Japan Debut, and the Rise of VTubers

Your Name. and Pilgrimage, Pokémon GO, SMAP's Breakup, and the B.League Opens

Touken Ranbu Meets the Museum, Netflix and Apple Music, Nogizaka46 at the Kohaku

Frozen and Yo-kai Watch Songs, Yuzuru Hanyu's Gold, and Live Shows Going Overseas

Amachan, Hanzawa Naoki, Attack on Titan, Rakuten's First Title and KanColle

AKB48 at Tokyo Dome, Atsuko Maeda's Graduation, and Momoclo's First Kohaku

The Great East Japan Earthquake, LINE's Debut, and Nadeshiko Japan's World Cup Win

KARA and Girls' Generation Debut in Japan, Miku Live, Instagram, Monster Hunter

2000s10 articles

AKB48's First General Election, K-On! Songs, and Michael Jackson's This Is It

Arashi at the National Stadium, the iPhone in Japan, and Social Media in Japanese

Hatsune Miku Is Born, Lucky Star Pilgrimage, and Arashi and Perfume Songs Spread

First WBC, a Koshien Replay, Niconico Douga's Debut, and the Wii

AKB48 Theater and YouTube Are Born, Songs Sold on iTunes, and the Songs of NANA

mixi and Train Man, Baseball Realignment, and Full-Song Chaku-Uta Full

"Sekai ni Hitotsu Dake no Hana," Winter Sonata, Tenimyu, and Fans Start Blogging

World Cup Street Cheering, Chaku-Uta Ringtones, and Ken Hirai's "Big Old Clock"

The iPod Debuts, "Sha-mail" Photos, and Spirited Away, USJ and Mini Moni

DVDs on the PS2, Photos by Phone, and the Arrival of Shuffle Units and Summer Fests

1990s10 articles

GLAY's 200,000-Person Show and i-mode, Reading About Your Oshi on a Mobile Phone

Music Sales Peak, Morning Musume and Hikaru Utada Debut, and Fans Mourn hide

Princess Mononoke and FFVII, Japan's First World Cup Berth, and the First Fuji Rock

The Amuraa Phenomenon, GLAY's BELOVED, Pokémon Is Born and Yahoo! JAPAN Launches

"Ganbaro KOBE" and Quake Relief, Evangelion Goes on Air, and Windows 95 Lands

GLAY Debuts, Mr.Children Hit Big, PlayStation Arrives and Ichiro Bangs Out 210 Hits

The J.League Kicks Off, "Supporters" Become a Word, and ZARD Plays On

The MD Walkman, Sailor Moon, Street Fighter II and a 14-Year-Old's Olympic Gold

Tokyo Love Story and "SAY YES," the J.League Is Founded and the Wakataka Sumo Boom

B'z's First No. 1, Chibi Maruko-chan, the Super Famicom and Sanrio Puroland

1980s10 articles

The Heisei Era Begins, the Ikaten Band Boom and the Game Boy Arrives

CDs Overtake Vinyl, Dragon Quest III Lines, Totoro, and Anpanman Arrives on TV

City Hunter, Bikkuriman Stickers, the Spread of PC Networking, and Saint Seiya Toys

BOØWY at the Budokan, the First Sanrio Character Ranking, and Dragon Quest

Onyanko Club Fever, Hanshin's "Torakichi," PC Networking, and Super Mario Bros.

The Checkers, Dragon Ball's Debut, Ticket Pia and Nausicaä on the Big Screen

The Famicom, Tokyo Disneyland, the Word "Otaku," and 100,000 Tickets for Cats

The CD Arrives, the "Class of '82" Idols Debut, and Macross Ties Anime to Song

1981 — YMO and Dr. Slump, the Rise of Radio's Postcard Regulars, and Donkey Kong

1980 — Momoe Yamaguchi Retires, Seiko Matsuda Debuts, Record Output Peaks

Meiji–Showa8 articles

Star Tanjo! and the Shineitai, Music on Cassette, and Yamato's Anime Fever

The Beatles Arrive, 300+ Group Sounds Bands and TV Takes Over

The Three Girls, Rikidozan on Street TV, and the Birth of Kohaku

From Wartime Bans to "Ringo no Uta," the Decade Postwar Stages Restarted

A 20,000-Strong Fan Club, the Tokyo Ondo Craze, Futabayama's 69 Wins

Radio Arrives, Stars and Hit Songs Go Nationwide, Koshien Stadium Opens

A Theater in a Pool, Fan Letters to Asakusa Opera, Star Photos at Home

Shouting "Do Suru!" at Girl Gidayu, Collecting Photos, Replaying Voices

Heian–Edo5 articles

Wearing Your Oshi's Pattern, Backstage Prints and Days Without Them

Off to the Teahouse for Kasamori Osen, Color Prints and Sumo Rankings

Finding Your Actor, from Izumo no Okuni to Danjuro and Tojuro

The Shogun Who Backed Kan'ami and Zeami

The Diarist Who Adored The Tale of Genji, and Courtiers Hooked on Poetry