"If It's for Their Favorite, 5 Million Won Is Worth It"... The Unexpected Drivers Behind Japan's 3.6 Trillion Yen Oshikatsu Market

Oshikatsu Population Reaches 26 Million
Highest Spending Age Group: Those in Their 50s

The "Oshikatsu" market, which refers to enthusiastic fan activities for one's favorite figure or subject—known as "deokjil" (fan devotion) in Korea—has taken root in Japan as a resilient consumer industry that remains strong despite high inflation.

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On April 5, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) reported that the size of the "Oshikatsu" consumer market, which involves fandom activities such as supporting one’s favorite idol or celebrity, has grown to 3.8 trillion yen (approximately 3.6 trillion won) in Japan.

According to a survey released by the Nomura Research Institute in March last year, the population engaging in Oshikatsu among Japanese people aged 15 to 69 reached about 26 million, accounting for more than 30% of the total population in this age group. Their spending covers a wide range of areas, including admission fees for live performances or sporting events, official merchandise, gifts for their favorite celebrities, purchases of items used for Oshikatsu such as cameras, travel expenses, and products or services co-branded with the celebrities they support.

Nikkei particularly noted that the expansion of the Oshikatsu market is largely due to the increasing participation of middle-aged and older adults. While tickets or merchandise priced from a few thousand yen to 10,000 yen (tens of thousands of won to 94,000 won) used to be the mainstream Oshikatsu-related spending, the entry of this demographic has led to higher-value spending. For example, as seen among Korean fans, more people are running billboard advertisements for their favorite celebrities' birthdays and other occasions, with costs ranging from 10,000 yen up to 500,000 yen (about 4.73 million won). The outlet also reported that it is not uncommon for fans to spend hundreds of thousands of yen on overseas concerts of famous singers or trips to see Shohei Ohtani play in Major League Baseball in the United States.

Street scene in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Pixabay

According to a survey conducted by Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in January 2024, the age group with the highest Oshikatsu-related spending—including admission fees for movies and theater performances as well as accommodation costs—was people in their 50s, spending 99,000 yen (about 930,000 won). This was followed by those in their 40s (80,000 yen, about 750,000 won) and those in their 60s (70,000 yen, about 660,000 won), indicating that middle-aged and older adults spend more on Oshikatsu than younger generations.

Middle-aged and older adults are participating in Oshikatsu regardless of rising prices. According to a survey by Intage, a Japanese market research firm, conducted in January last year, more than 50% of respondents in their 40s to 70s said that inflation and yen depreciation had no impact at all on their Oshikatsu activities, with the rate reaching 73% among those in their 60s. In contrast, the figure was only in the 40% range among those aged 15 to 39.

Kohei Okazaki, chief economist at Nomura Securities, explained, "Due to declining birth rates, an increase in the proportion of single people, and rising wages, middle-aged and older adults now have more money to spend on themselves, which is supporting the overall Oshikatsu market."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.