Episode 69
THE OSHI LAB PODCAST
The Oshi Lab Podcast
69episodesEvery Monday, our founder Ayano Yazawa and editor-in-chief Kazuya Iwamoto dig into a trend, a case study or a piece of history from Japan’s fan culture. The show is recorded in Japanese, and the full episode articles below are in English. Pages with verified captioned video offer English subtitles; other pages provide the original Japanese audio. Each article includes chapter links and supporting sources. Episodes marked “English dub available” also have an English audio track on YouTube.
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All episodes 69
Episode 68
Manga Beyond the Magazine: Free First Reads, Global Readers and Original-Art Exhibitions
Episode 67
How Fans Make Hits: From AKB48's Elections to FRUITS ZIPPER's Social Buzz
Episode 66
LAST CALL and Cosmetic Medicine: When Admiration Becomes a Business
Episode 65
Uma Musume, Touken Ranbu and Cells at Work: Why Japan Turns Things Into Characters to Root For
Episode 64
Oshi-Katsu and Online Backlash: Why It Looks Like Everyone Is Angry When About 1 in 70,000 Posts
Episode 63
Why Does =LOVE Keep Thriving? Rino Sashihara's "Don't Skip a Step" Strategy
Episode 62
1.7 Billion Views: How Monaki Won Over TikTok's Generation and Showa-Era Music Fans
Episode 61
Chiikawa Goes Global: Why Chinese Fans Call It a "Digital Ibuprofen" for Anxiety (Part 2)
Episode 60
Why Adults Fall for Chiikawa: The Working-Life Story Behind the Cute (Part 1)
Episode 59
How Pokémon and 60 J.League Clubs Designed a 1 Million Bag Giveaway
Episode 58
Oshi-Katsu Fatigue: When Loving Becomes a Duty, and How to Cheer More Gently
Episode 57
The Full History of Acrylic Stands: How Fans Turned a Material into a Medium
Episode 56
What We Learned Exhibiting at Oshi-Katsu EXPO Summer 2026
Episode 55
The Dark Side of Collaboration Cafés: Reservation Battles, Resale and Waste
Episode 54
Why Fans Back the Whole Team: Hako-Oshi and Japan's National Soccer Side
Episode 53
What Is Oshi-Katsu? Why Fandom Matters in the Age of AI
Episode 52
Why Gen Z Loves the Heisei-Era Nostalgia They Never Experienced
Episode 51
Flower Stands for Your Oshi: The Light and Shadow of Fan-Funded Celebration Flowers
Episode 50
100,000 Plays Across Podcast and YouTube: What One Year of Publishing Taught Us
Episode 49
Disney vs. USJ: The Highs and Lows of Theme-Park Fandom
Episode 48
Chiikawa, Kura Sushi and Collab Backlash: What Makes a Fandom Collaboration Succeed or Backfire?
Episode 47
Why Dating Reality Shows Became Fandom: Cheering for Someone Else's Romance
Episode 46
Detective Conan at 30: How a Long-Running Franchise Keeps Fans for Decades
Episode 45
Can Netflix Grow Membership with the WBC? Exclusive Streaming in Japan Today
Episode 44
Why M!LK Took Off: Old Media's Decline and a New Fandom Marketing Strategy
Episode 43
Inside the J.League's 100-Year Vision, Part 2: A Special Tournament, Penalty Shootouts and the Stadium Day
Episode 42
Inside the J.League's 100-Year Vision: Turning a Local Team into a Lifelong Favorite
Episode 41
How Overseas Fans Do Oshi-Katsu: The New Market Tourism Is Creating
Episode 40
Snow Man, timelesz and Arashi: What Netflix Exclusives Are Really For
Episode 39
50 Years of J-Rock: From Southern All Stars to Mrs. GREEN APPLE and Vaundy
Episode 38
Arashi's 27 Years and the New Kind of Fandom They Leave Behind
Episode 37
How No No Girls Turned Being Told 'No' Into Hope Through HANA
Episode 36
2026 Outlook: Will AI Glasses Bring Fandom Into Physical Space?
Episode 35
Oshi-Katsu Trends of 2025: What the ¥3.9 Trillion Market Really Contains
Episode 34
Streaming Exclusives: Where to Watch Your Favorite Oshi Across Netflix, Disney+ and U-NEXT
Episode 33
Kohaku Becomes an Oshi's Big Stage: How a National Program Has Changed
Episode 32
How COEDO and Yona Yona Ale Built Global Fanbases for Local Beer
Episode 31
Why Is Morning Musume Still Loved? 28 Years of Lasting Fandom Built on Shared Stories
Episode 30
Why Does Snow Man Keep Selling? The Stage-to-Backstage Gap and Media Strategy (Part 2)
Episode 29
Why Does Snow Man Keep Selling? The Road to Nine Members (Part 1)
Episode 28
Starbucks and Fandom: How One of Today's Most Beloved Brands Was Built Around a Third Place
Episode 27
Takarazuka Revue and Oshi-katsu: 110 Years of Tradition and the Challenge of Renewal
Episode 26
Can J.League Players Become Idols? A Business Model Beyond Wins and Losses
Episode 25
Why Pokémon Keeps Selling: How a Global IP Built on Exchange Was Designed to Grow
Episode 24
Why LABUBU Sold Worldwide: How POP MART Sells Discovery, Not Products
Episode 23
Why Sanrio Is the King of Oshi-Katsu: Hello Kitty, Kuromi and the Design of a Voting Festival
Episode 22
AI and Virtual Romance: How ChatGPT Is Changing Fandom, for Better and Worse
Episode 21
Why Heisei-Era J-pop Keeps Coming Back: How Old Songs Find New Fans on TikTok
Episode 20
From Bassist to Entrepreneur: Why I Started an Oshi-Katsu Business (PQuuut Balloon Support)
Episode 19
Why Does Reselling Spark Backlash? Lessons From the Switch 2 and McDonald's Happy Set
Episode 18
What Makes a Shrine a Fan Favorite? Snow Man Fans and the Culture of Praying for Your Oshi
Episode 17
Demon Slayer's Fastest ¥10 Billion: The Oshi-Katsu Behind a Revolutionary Hit
Episode 16
Reiwa-Era "New Kawaii": How FRUITS ZIPPER Went Viral
Episode 15
Fandom Across Borders: North America, Europe, South America and Africa
Episode 14
How K-pop Changed Oshi-Katsu Around the World: The Asia Edition
Episode 13
Can a Voice Actor's Acrylic Stand Sell for ¥150,000? Inside the Industry
Episode 12
The Birth of Idol Voice Actors? A History of Voice Acting and Today's Fandom
Episode 11
Why 2.5D Spread: A History of Stage and Character Fandom, From Tenimyu to Demon Slayer
Episode 10
After timelesz project: A New Entertainment Economy Born from Rejection
Episode 9
The Light and Shadow of Gacha: The Psychology of "One More Pull" and Healthy Design
Episode 8
How Anime Pilgrimages Change a Town: The Connections and Economy Fans Create
Episode 7
Why Do Fans Love Certain Companies? Five Corporate Fandom Strategies (Part 2)
Episode 6
How Companies Bring Oshi-Katsu Into Their Business: Fan Acquisition Strategies (Part 1)
Episode 5
Why the timelesz Project Is So Compelling: Japanese-Korean Audition History and a New Strategy
Episode 4
How Sports Fans Become Devoted Supporters: J.League, B.League and Pro Baseball
Episode 3
Instagram, X, YouTube, Facebook and TikTok: Using Five Major Platforms for Fandom
Episode 2
Are You an Oshi Person or a Fan? Different Ways of Showing Support
Episode 1