92% of Japanese school kids love “stanning,” 1 in 4 spend over 60 dollars monthly on YouTubers, anime etc.
According to a report by Nagoya TV, when asked if they participate in “oshi-katsu” (stanning), an overwhelming majority of Japanese middle and high school students answered with an enthusiastic “yes.” The survey was done in a cram school in Aichi, Japan, and the kids also revealed the objects of their fan-activities and how much of their allowance they spend on them.
Oshi-katsu is a Japanese term that describes passionately “pushing for” a favorite celebrity or character through fan-activities such as buying and wearing merch, attending events and participating in online fandom activities. The term’s connotation is significantly stronger than that of simply being a fan. Among students of the previously mentioned cram school in Aichi, the most frequent “oshi” (objects of oshi-katsu) were Youtubers, VTubers, anime characters, and idols. Utaite, singers who perform covers of popular music such as VOCALOID and anime songs and game-related music were also very popular. At the same time, the object of an individual’s oshi-katsu doesn’t necessarily have to be a person or character. One student’s oshi happened to be Japanese castles.
According to Nifty Kids, around 92% of kids in Japan have their own oshi. Although students in middle school aren’t old enough to work a job, it seems that many of them are using their allowances to support their “faves.” According to Nagoya TV, “1 in 4 middle school students spend over 10k yen (68 USD) monthly supporting their oshi.”
Individuals participating in oshi-katsu often like to show their love for their oshi by wearing bags, pins, and other goods with their oshi’s name or face printed on them. Nagoya TV asked Natsuho Tada, the CEO of Oshicoco, an online oshi merchandise store, why she thinks kids love participating in the oshi lifestyle. Tada mentions that finding friends with similar interests and getting the chance to gain new experiences are benefits young people can gain from participating in oshi-katsu.
There does seem to be data backing up the claim that oshi-katsu can have a positive effect on individuals emotionally. According to PR Times, when asked whether they feel as if their life has been enriched by their oshi, nearly 90% of respondents answered positively. The article went on to mention the oshi-katsu individuals reported an increase in feelings of enjoyment, energy, could reduce their stress, and experienced a higher sense of beauty. Similarly, Tokyo Keizai reports that individuals who spend their time and money supporting their oshi seem to benefit from a decrease in loneliness, an increased sense of self-validation, and an increase in motivation. Oshi-katsu isn’t just for teens too, it seems as though individuals of all ages are partaking in the pastime.
As for the spending habbits of those engaging in oshi-katsu, it would seem that different ages have their own unique characteristics. TRANS, an online oshi-related goods store, reports that teens most often stan Youtubers and TikTokers, and that the price of merch is important to them as they usually only have an allowance. Most people in their 20’s begin working their first real job around this time and therefore have more money to spend. This age range usually buys more goods, attends more events, and are fast to catch the latest news regarding their oshi. Finally, individuals in their 30’s and 40’s tend to have more of an old-school otaku approach to oshi-katsu. This group is usually into anime and manga, purchases more expensive and higher quality goods and uses X (formerly Twitter) heavily.
On the other hand, oshi-katsu doesn’t come without its downsides. PR Times reports, “When we asked about the disadvantages of having an oshi, the overwhelming result was that it cost a lot of money.” Other negative points being that fans were afraid that their oshi might become involved in a scandal, experienced jealousy and bad relations with other fans, and found it hard to find love, among other concerns.
It seems that children in Japan are becoming more and more interested in oshi-katsu, some even willing to support their oshi with a big portion of their allowances. While the lifestyle may have a few downsides, it seems that most enjoyers of the oshi life feel as though their lives have been enriched. As the young people continue to push for their favorite Youtubers and characters, the benefits of the lifestyles could help them become more motivated and energized. As oshi-katsu continues to increase in popularity, more young people may choose pushing for their faves as a way to take away their daily life stresses.
