Idols -Aidoru-
If you watch TV in Japan, you must have come across many Idols on TV. If you watch a music show, they sing, dance, and talk. If it's a comedy show, they talk about funny anecdotes or do silly games or just eating spicy food. Some people outside of Japan must know about the idol culture as well. If so, how would you explain this culture? I still do not have an easy explanation, but I have thought through it for a long time. I want to find a way to describe it since I have been a fan of idols for a long time, but I have never felt I could fully explain it to someone who isn't an idol. In this article, I would like to write about how theculturey attracts people who are unique. Since I am one of the fans, I don't want to hate on them, but I would like to write about some of the problematic aspects as well.. The simple concept is easy to understand, thanks to K-POP idols. However, explaining the culture of the unique parts of Japanese idols is difficult. There are so many idol groups and fans in Japan, and I don't want to say this is the only correct explanation. Instead, I want to point out parts of the culture that are fascinating for me. I would like to hear more opinions of it as well. This is my perspective of idol culture, so it might be different from other Japanese people's.
Idols vs Pop Stars
you might think idols are people like pop stars such as Britney Spears, Sabrina Carpenters, and Shawn Mendes. They have the common consept between two but not the same. In general, pop stars focus on singing, and they often sing professionally, but the unique point about Japanese idols is people enjoy growth over perfection. Japanese idols start applying to auditions at teen age, and most of the agencies make the contract when they are really young, even if they are not so good at performing. They even shoot the process of auditioning to get fans to know the potential idols. Watching the audition process and their growth makes fans want to support them more, and how they try to get better attracts people. It is like seeing the film of someone trying hard and struggling to be a star over the years. It creates a sense of emotional investment. I would say it could be toxic for teenagers. However, it happens a lot.
I like idols because of the energy of performance and passion for trying hard. The performance could be powerful, especially if the song suits the idol's personality or life. On the other hand, I feel some of the idol culture is actually toxic and could cause terrible incidents, so I think It's worth discussing here. It's constrained for the business.
- Cheer you up
The part that attracts people of the idol the most is the cheering performance. It is not for all idols do, but most of them dance with big smiles and singing the songs makes you feel more energetic. How they try to sing and dance with a big smile always cheers you up. I am going to write about it in the "Supporting Culture" section, but most of the idols are not professional in the beginning. The fans know how difficult it is for them to dance and sing on the stage since the fans have been seeing since they were not so good at them. It makes you feel a lot of empathy for them. Everyone has the experience of trying so hard and getting better at it by the process. The performance reminds you of the feelings. On top of that, they smile for you even if they are doing something super tricky. The dedication of it attracts people a lot. - Ban Dating
One of the common rules for idols is you can not date anyone while being idols. Some fans support them with romantic feelings, so dating anyone is considered to make the support less. However, dating scandals happen often, so whenever the media or fans find out, they apologize to the fans or graduate from the group or quiet idols. Banning dating makes fans think they are still growing up, as well. As I explained, showing they are growing is one of the crucial points of idols, so they need to be young, brave people who are just focusing on making their dreams come true. Of course, some fans are happy that they are dating, but the majority of the fans would be upset because they think they are a team getting big together, but they considered dating scandals as ruined it.
My personal opinion about dating is not positive. The rules make me feel that parents ban some fundamental rights when you are in your teen years, which I think is toxic.One of the most infamous idol scandals in Japan involved Minami Minegishi, a member of the popular group AKB48. The incident itself—she was reportedly dating a man—was not particularly shocking by global standards. But what followed caught widespread attention: she shaved her head and posted an apology video online, visibly distressed, to show her deep regret. This reaction wasn’t staged by her agency—it was something she did herself, under intense pressure. The episode highlights just how strict and deeply internalized the expectations placed on young idols are, especially when it comes to maintaining a public image of purity and availability. In many ways, her act was not just an apology, but a powerful, if troubling, symbol of how unforgiving and performative the idol world can be for women under such cultural scrutiny. - Support culture
There is a word for supporting them, which is Oshi-Katsu. The direct translation into English is Support Activity. The fans buy products like shirts, CDs, acre stands, stuffed people, and Cheki. The big differences of between Oshi-Katsu and other fan activity is they buy tons of them even if you don't use it. It is like a collector so that they buy three of the same CDs, all kinds of badges, and checkis which you can go to see and take pictures with them. The modern style of idols is close to fans. If the fan tries to see them, you can see them. It causes incidents, but it makes the idols more popular. Not for all the idols, but one of the famous idols, AKB48, applies a ranking system. One CD has one right to vote for the ranking so that the fans vote to the idols they like and the idol. Some fans buy many CDs to put the idol in a higher position. The system makes a drama because it shows who is popular and who is not for girls. It is one of the capitalistic idol cultures. This support culture makes the bond between the idol and the fans stronger. The fans feel more attracted by the person as much as you spend money and time.
*Cheki refers to instant photo prints, typically taken with Fujifilm Instax cameras, and is a popular practice in Japanese idol and fan cultures. The word “cheki” comes from the English word “check”, originally referring to ID checks in clubs or events, but in Japan it evolved to mean “instant photo”, especially one taken with an idol.
- Fans who are the same gender
One of the frustrations of me being a huge fan of idols outside of Japan is most people consider as a crush on the idols. It is very common to be a fan even if you are the same gender as the idols and your sexual preference is hetero. Since they enjoy their growth of the motivation for supporting them could not be romantic feelings. The motivation could be you want to help the person who pursues their dreams. - Graduation System
Idols typically "graduate" (retire) from their groups after a few years, moving on to other careers (acting, solo music, or leaving entertainment entirely). This temporary nature is part of the appeal—fans enjoy watching their journey before they move on. If the idol has had any dating scandals, committed a crime such as smoking or drinking even if you are not the age, or drags, they need to quit instead of graduating as an idol. - Variant kinds
Idols sometimes have their own unique theme. The classic style is each member has a color, a short frilled skirt, black hair, straight bang. They often mixed with the school costumes. This classic style could be the most popular for men. On the other hand, there is another style as well. Fudanjuku is a girl wearing male school costumes. Babymetal is a metal band-themed idol. The passcode is an electronic aggressive sound. The differences between the different kinds attract people and make idols popular.
I still attract idols even now, even though I know the culture is constructed and problematic. The power of how they attract people is very powerful and has a big impact on society. I would like to enjoy idol culture without the dark side; however, it might be impossible for them to exist without the capitalist side because of the business scheme.
Some parts of Idols might be the same as other cerebrates in other countries since I don't know about the other idol cultures in different countries so much. Therefore, I would love to hear other people's thoughts about the article.
