Why Do We "Oshi" (Support)? The Economy of Emotion and the Redefinition of Capital
There are people who order 10,000 cakes for an idol's birthday. There are those who spend all night rotating hashtags to get their favorite's name trending on social media. People travel by bullet train for a character's birthday, acquire location-exclusive novelties, and upload commemorative photos as a form of "memorial service."
What was once considered madness has now established itself as a kind of lifestyle. Moreover, it seems somewhat happy.
Japanese sociologist Atsuo Nakayama, known as the "Entertainment Sociologist," positioned these behavioral patterns not as mere consumption, but as the expansion of an economic sphere driven by "emotional capital." Why do people "support" (oshi)? It is not because there is a financial return, nor is it just about satisfying one's own desire for approval. At the root of the act of "supporting" lies a more structural shift. In other words, it is a transition to a society where emotion becomes currency.
Oshi-katsu (supporting activities) is a "gift" to the system. And that gift comes equipped with a clear retrieval mechanism. Live concert seating, priority purchase of photo cards, "likes" on official social media—every piece of feedback returns as a yield on one's emotional investment. But perhaps the greatest reward is the solidarity among fans, which could even be called "complicit."
That strange peer pressure of, "So you support them too."
Mr. Nakayama defined this as a right of residence in a "virtual prime location." In other words, it is a perspective where the density of loyalty and engagement toward a specific IP (intellectual property), rather than physical land, creates a new "place to belong." This is an extremely modern urbanization phenomenon. In a sense, it is a virtual Harajuku and a digital Akihabara.
On the other hand, this economic sphere creates a clear "hierarchy."
Those who spend money are important, and those recognized by the management stand at the top. No matter how deep your love is, if your spending or event participation is low, you are mocked as a "newbie." In other words, supporting is not only the marketization of emotion, but also a mechanism of approval and exclusion.
To borrow Mr. Nakayama's words, this is a "redesign of one's place of belonging."
People no longer belong to companies or local communities. Now that traditional identities like nation and religion have fallen into dysfunction, people are constructing the foundation of their existence through their "oshi." And that construction is surprisingly stable. This is because there is no end to it.
Even if a work ends, the character does not die.
Even if the voice actor changes or the idol graduates, as long as the social media account remains, the "soul" continues. In other words, an "oshi" is set up as an "immortal existence." The "sustainability of IP" that Nakayama emphasizes is not only a story of an economic revenue model, but also a design of a psychological dependency structure.
Supporting has become a part of life. Having an "oshi" keeps the days moving. The reason I go to work today is to spend money on the next gacha. The motivation for a frugal life is to save money for travel to local events. The logic of life is being reorganized around the "oshi." Isn't this the original meaning of the word "economic sphere"?
But, how sustainable is that heat, really?
Eventually, the "oshi" will be updated. New content, new characters, new voices. Fans, too, will stray, move on, and sometimes burn out. Mr. Nakayama affirms even this as a "fluid economy." However, the side that is supported—that is, the "oshi" itself—is consumed while being updated. This is the exact same structure as economic capitalism. In other words, "oshi-katsu" might be an "emotional mirror of capitalism."
The question, "Does your 'oshi' support you back?" will never have an answer. Even so, we support them. Because, only in the moments we are supporting, the world becomes a little more beautiful.
Next time, under the theme of "Is an 'oshi' an asset or an illusion?", we will delve deeper into the identity of modern people swaying between love and consumption.
