CULTURE ｜SOCIETY
Why ‘Oshikatsu’ Can Be So Much Better Than Love in Japan
This cheap date test highlights enduring gender stereotypes
When I shared my previous piece on why Japan’s birthrate has been declining, some of my readers left similar comments as follows:
It’s impossible to force people to fall in love and have children. Japanese men are into anime, while women are crazy about K-POP and J-POP idols.
I wondered if this argument was accurate. Japanese people’s love for anime and idols isn’t a new development. Since the term oshikatsu became common, talking about these topics has been regarded as less and less nerdy. People no longer call you otaku only because you like anime, at least in Japan.
According to a recent survey, among single Japanese men in their 20s, 40% of them have never had girlfriends, while the female counterpart is 22% [1]. Experts claim that younger generations think that being single is more stress-free and that it can be scary to be involved in a relationship. Is it possible that anime and idols have replaced love interests for Japanese people?
What Is Oshikatsu?
推し活 (oshikatsu) is defined as “the act of enthusiastically supporting someone like an idol singer or…
