Japanese Idol Culture Essay

The idol culture, which is made up of not only the role models and the fans but also the agencies involved, the produces and the staff involved, has saw a lot of focus and adoration from both the adolescent audience and also the professional world. The idols have become a major part of the Japanese society attributed by their nature of being role models, their popularity in the media and their well-orchestrated audience appeal; they have managed to pose a great influence on the social goals and aspirations of the Japanese society. Thus, a new breed of culture has developed from the idol industry characterized by people sharing the same set of values, beliefs and preferences in other words, people sharing a homogenous identity.

This is to say that, the identity that has been created by the idol industry which involves collective aspirations to attain a certain idealistic image has made the Japanese culture continue to remain bold and resisting change. In the late 1960, the idols were just celebrities who came from one of the commercial genre of pop music known as the Kayokyoku. Interestingly, this new breed of idols managed to get the same attention as the ones before them had, that is the adoration, obsession and following as a result of their identity. This new breed of idols who were almost like the average person managed to easily sail through since the average Japanese then find an opportunity to apply what they saw from their idol to their own life.

Initially these were luxury that could only be afforded by the wealthy people. The new average idols made it possible for people to buy similar products, take part in the same activities and trust the brands advocated by the idols. Then, the idols managed to become the ideal role models, they also moved across age groups and therefore managed to represent the entire generation in terms of the ideals, beliefs and values. According to (Nakamori, 2007) most of the idols are not good singers or actors, and they are not as beautiful or attractive, they are just cute and popular. Regardless of their low levels of talents in the entertainment scene, the idol groups are still in a position to get a huge media attention and continue to find work in television shows, concerts and advertisements.

As a matter of fact, almost 50-70 percent of commercials in Japan either in print, televions or a poster advertisement, an idol group is featured (Galbraith & Karlin, 2012). As a result, the idols are in a position to reach many audiences and at the end of the day manage to pull out a huge following. One of the idol groups that clearly show how the idol industry has gained roots in the media is the Japanese idol group going by the name AKB48. Patrick Galbraith in a chapter talking about the idols and media intimacy tackles the impacts of the saturation of the idols in the Japanese media. He states that without any intention or effort, it is possible for one to easily get to see a lot of images of AKB48 or Arashi during the day.

He further states that the speed at which the idols and celebrities have made their selves present in the Japan’s media has made them not only identifiable but also familiar. Surprisingly, the saturated nature of the idols and celebrities in the Japan’s media has made it so easily for one to frequently make contact with an idol or celebrity more than they do with their own family (Galbraith & Karlin, 2012). There are quite a number of idol groups in Japan but certainly the AKB48 is the largest with 88 members. The idols are also displayed as people going through the same challenges as their fans and also the normal stages of life in terms of growth and maturity. According to Galbraith, the idols should be accepted in the living as members of the family (Galbraith & Karlin, 2012).

The idols are also supposed to demonstrate that they have risen to their level of stardom because of the support they have gained from their audience, promoters, producers, their staff and adults and children alike. This gratefulness is geared towards showing the image of community and how the support from peers is important to the idols. Other important aspects are the elements of mistakes, showing evidently that they are not talented and the aspect of timidity. He further stated that fans don’t have the desire to date or even marry the idols. His desire to see the idols can be compared to the desire of other people when it comes to appreciate any artistic work (Matsumoto 11). Lastly, the success of the idol industry can also be attributed to the role the audience has played in practicing the Japan’s unique aesthetic of kawaii.

It is important to note that kawaii is a whole topic in itself but it has a significant role here based on the obsession the Japanese have with it and how it has managed to remain relevant over time. Idols are supposed to be cute; this is not only in terms of their appearances but also how they behave, how they speak and how they choose their interests. For instance one member of AKB48 was involved in a scandal in January 2013, after she was seen with a man. This is a total violation of the contract Minami Minegishi made with her group and it also form a standard for every female idol to portray herself as innocent and virginal. Her supporters were not pleased with that act and she therefore had to make a public apology not only to her fans but also to her group members which is very humiliating and degrading.

Apart from that she had to plea so that she can still be a member of the group. The act of shaving off her head which is considered as in the Japanese culture an act of seeking apology for disgrace, and the reaction from her fans shows how the idol culture forces people to act differently and how they fear being victimized for being different. References Aoyagi, Hiroshi (2000). "Pop idols and Asian identities" in Timothy Craig (ed. ) Japan Pop! Inside the World of Japanese Popular Culture. M. E. Kyong Yoon. (2017) Global Imagination of K-Pop: Pop Music Fans’ Lived Experiences of Cultural Hybridity. Popular Music and Society 0:0, pages 1-17 Ogawa, H. The effects of karaoke music in Japan. In karaoke around the world: global technology, local singing, edited by Mitsui, T.