[Oshikatsu Budget Revealed] The Reality of Hobby Spending That a 30-Something Otaku 'Happily Spends'

"Am I spending too much money on my oshi?"
"How much does being an otaku actually cost?"

I think many people who have recently started their 'oshikatsu' (supporting their favorite) or are concerned about the balance of money spent on their oshi feel this way.
However, it's quite hard to ask otaku friends about money.

This time, as a 30-something otaku who supports a 2.5D stage actor, I will look back at my own hobby expenses for the first half of 2025!

"Whoa, isn't that too much?"
"Oh, I don't have to hold back."
Why don't you look back at your own "oshikatsu expenses" with me while making these kinds of mental comments?

👛Introduction: Having a theater-going hobby costs money!

My oshi is a stage actor, so my oshikatsu mainly consists of going to see stage plays.
A single ticket costs about 10,000 yen.
If the actor is popular, they appear in different productions almost every month, which means otaku end up going to the theater almost every week.

On top of that, they rarely appear on TV or YouTube, so you basically can't "watch them for free."
Talking to them directly or taking photos with them also costs money.

That's why being an otaku for a stage actor is incredibly expensive.

It's not just 2.5D actor otaku; fans of the Shiki Theatre Company or Takarazuka might have the same worries.

🍭Expenses related to the actor's events: 155,000 yen

[Breakdown]

My impression was, "Wow, it went down a lot!"
That comes to 310,000 yen annually.
You might think, "You spend that much?" but last year I spent over 200,000 yen in half a year, so that's a decrease of over 30% compared to my own previous spending.

However, to be honest, this was just a half-year where it happened to be low.

In the first half of 2025, my favorite actor only had works released in January and March, and the tickets were already paid for last year.
The only tickets I paid for in the first half were for seeing a production he's in this July three times.

Since he had been in new works almost every month until now, the first half of 2025 was the period where I spent the least amount of money on my favorite actor ever.
Even so, 13,000 yen for one ticket to the play in July is... way too expensive!!

As an example other than myself, a 2.5D actor otaku introduced in this web article said, 'My average monthly spending is 80,000 yen.'
That comes to about 1 million yen annually.
It feels like an extreme case, but I think it's 'not impossible.'

In my case, I will gratefully put the money I saved this time into investments.
Since my favorite actor will definitely become a popular star in the future, I want to increase my savings even a little for the sake of my future self and him.

Instead, as a way to support him without spending money, I use the message function within the fan club and send letters to convey the words, 'I'm rooting for you.'

🎈 Hobby expenses other than my favorite actor: 166,000 yen

[Breakdown]

Since I am an otaku with many hobbies, I also spend money on hobbies other than my favorite actor.
I really love show business, so the cost per event is high.

However, since I want to prioritize my favorite actor, I try to keep these other hobby expenses as low as possible.
In fact, I've been able to cut about 80,000 yen since the second half of 2024. Thank goodness.

🌱 Looking back 'honestly' at money and satisfaction

Writing it out like this, I can look back at each event and ask, 'Did I get enough happiness to justify spending this amount?.'

It's just my case, but I realized that 'spending on experiences is more satisfying than spending on things.'

There were times I bought merchandise just because my friends were doing it.
It was fun, though.
I haven't even opened the DVD I went to the trouble of buying.

However, I will never reduce the number of times I go to see my beloved Tenimyu performances.

No matter how many times I watch Tenimyu, I find new discoveries, and I can feel the actors' performances evolving each time I watch, so I've decided to 'go as many times as I can get tickets.'
I couldn't get more tickets for the National Hyotei performance because they were so hard to get, though...

An otaku's wallet can loosen the moment they are in front of their favorite.
Even if you decide on a 'budget,' it's often meaningless.
Besides, honestly, it takes courage to look back calmly at the money spent on your favorite.

There is no 'correct answer' between 'fandom activities that don't cost money' and 'fandom activities that do.'
There is no specific guideline for the amount either.
As long as you stay within your limits, I think it's okay to 'enjoy being driven crazy by your favorite.'

However, I think it's important to have a dialogue with yourself, asking, "Honestly, is the current happiness and this amount of money within a satisfying range?" If you are satisfied, then it's okay!

If you are not satisfied, consider increasing it, decreasing it, or changing it to something else.

Rather than the money itself, I would like to recommend facing your 'heart'.
I think finding a sustainable 'pace that is unique to you' is important to 'staying happy and continuing to love your oshi forever'.

To spend the remaining half of this year happily with your oshi.
Why don't you also take a look back at your hobby expenses together?

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