The "OSHI" Culture at the heart of Japan's content business
The economic sphere expands around origin creator, and the characters move away from them.
In recent years, the content business has been booming in Japan.
The key phrase to understanding the Japanese content business is "推し(Oshi)."
The closest English translation of oshi is fav. However, oshi has a more worshipful nuance than simply "favorite thing".
Other translations include "fan" and "stan." Oshi has a stronger nuance of commitment to fandom culture than individual fan activities.
Since I cannot understand the exact context in English, I will use "oshi" as it is in this paper.
Supporting one's oshi is called "oshi-katsu.(fav-act)" This is what supports the current Japanese subculture economy.
Fandoms, which are made up of friends who share a common oshi, have a local nature unique to their area, and their own rules naturally emerge. (These are not necessarily pleasing to the object of their enthusiasm.)
Also, the more people who share the same likes, the more sensitive they are to small differences, and the more likely they are to have bad relations with neighboring communities.
Japanese businesses sometimes fail to adapt to the local culture of fandom, risking their reputation. If they fail to respect the fandom, they will be inundated with criticism from fans, especially on Twitter, and the commotion will spread like a fire. This is called a "炎上（blow up）" to distinguish it from a "buzz."
However, in businesses that are integrated into the culture with consideration for the local fandom, there is a tendency for them to be forgiven for doing business that is somewhat insulting.
The specific content of businesses that grasp these characteristics and expand and their relationship to fan activities will be explained in the next issue.