Oshi-katsu and Live Commerce Strategy in Japan (Part 2)
Words by
Lucid
Edited by
Juna
💡Key takeaways
About 19.4 million people in Japan practice oshi-katsu, spending to support a favorite, in a market of about ¥4.1 trillion (about US$26 billion). Average spending is more than five times the median, so devoted fans drive the market.
45.1% of people with a favorite choose brands their favorite endorses. In Japan, supporting someone is a reason to buy.
Showing up, watching to support, celebrating milestones, spreading the word, and backing people. Build your shows around five things fans already do.
Japan regulates hidden ads (the Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations) and cosmetics claims (the PMD Act). Check your wording before you go live.
Brands entering Japan should plan their first 90 days in this order: first contact, a regular schedule, then fan rituals.
In our last article, What Makes Live Commerce Work in Japan, we laid out three conditions behind successful live shows in Japan: a regular schedule, hosts who know the product well, and turning viewers into fans. This time we dig into the third. We look at what oshi-katsu is, which fan behaviors lead to purchases, and what a company entering Japan should do in its first 90 days.
What is oshi-katsu?
Oshi-katsu is spending time and money to support your oshi, the person or character you're a fan of. An oshi can be an idol, an actor, an anime character, a VTuber, or an athlete.
What sets it apart from ordinary fandom is that support itself becomes a reason to buy. Nomura Research Institute (NRI) describes oshi-katsu as intense and a form of self-expression. Fans celebrate their oshi's birthday, send gifts, make their own merchandise, visit places from the story, and travel to see their oshi in person. Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency featured oshi-katsu in its 2022 consumer white paper as a defining form of spending among young people.
Why it fits live commerce is simple. On a live show, the host and viewers are there at the same time, viewers hear their names called after they comment, and they can turn their support into a purchase on the spot. Everything at the heart of oshi-katsu happens on one screen.
How big is Japan's oshi-katsu market?
About 19.4 million people practice oshi-katsu, in a market estimated at about ¥4.1 trillion (about US$26 billion). In one year, the number of fans grew by about 5.56 million and the market by about ¥0.6 trillion.
When Oshi-katsu Research (CDG and Oshicoco) surveyed 23,125 people aged 15 to 69 in January 2026, 24.0% said they practice oshi-katsu. That's 7.3 points higher than the previous survey, with men in their teens to 40s up nearly 10 points. Average yearly spending per person was ¥209,716 (about US$1,330), but the median was just ¥40,000 (about US$250). When the average is more than five times the median, a small group of devoted fans is doing most of the spending. That's why live shows should look after the core fans who keep coming back before trying to please every viewer.
It isn't just young people, either. NRI puts the oshi-katsu population at about 26 million, including about 12 million people in their 40s or older (surveys define oshi-katsu differently, so the numbers vary). Oshi-katsu isn't only a teen and twentysomething culture.
Metric | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
People practicing oshi-katsu (ages 15–69) | 24.0%, about 19.4 million (up about 5.56 million in a year) | Oshi-katsu Research (Jan 2026) |
Oshi-katsu market size | About ¥4.1 trillion (about ¥3.5 trillion the year before) | Same |
Yearly spending per person | Average ¥209,716, median ¥40,000 | Same |
Oshi-katsu fans aged 40 and over | About 12 million (of about 26 million) | Nomura Research Institute (Aug 2025) |
Choose brands their oshi endorses | 45.1% (of people with an oshi) | Video Research (Oct 2025) |
VTuber market (FY2025 forecast) | ¥126 billion (about US$800 million) | Yano Research Institute (Apr 2025) |
What kinds of oshi-katsu spending are there?
NRI splits oshi-katsu spending into four types: official, fan-driven, related, and collaboration. Brands have room in all four, but the way in is different for each.
Type | What it is | Size (NRI estimate) | How live commerce fits in |
|---|---|---|---|
Official | Merchandise and events from the company that owns the oshi | About ¥1.5 trillion | Sell limited items and event goods on official live shows |
Fan-driven | Spending fans start themselves (birthday celebrations, fan-funded ads, homemade merch) | About ¥1.0 trillion | Anniversary shows fans take part in, cheer-comment campaigns |
Related | Spending that comes with oshi-katsu (travel, hotels, cameras) | About ¥1.1 trillion | Shows that suggest products for concert trips and events |
Collaboration | Choosing everyday products that feature an oshi | About ¥0.3 trillion | Debut creator or IP collaboration products on live |
Collaboration is the one to watch. NRI still sees it as a blue ocean. Because people who don't practice oshi-katsu also pick everyday products featuring an oshi, brands without their own IP can get in. In a Video Research survey, 45.1% of people with an oshi said they choose products from brands that feature their oshi, and 46.9% said they come to like products and companies their oshi advertises. More than 40% said they buy even when they think the price is high.
Which fan behaviors become live commerce strategy?
Take what fans already do and build it into your shows. Here are five typical behaviors of Japanese fans and how to bring each one into live.
What fans do | Evidence | How to bring it into live |
|---|---|---|
Show up to see their oshi | Seeing your oshi in person is central to oshi-katsu (NRI) | A regular show on the same day and time |
Watch to show support | 60.9% of teens deliberately rack up views (Video Research) | Set like and comment goals together, and unlock a perk when you hit them |
Celebrate milestones | Birthday celebrations and gifts are typical (NRI) | Host birthday, brand anniversary, and launch shows with limited sets |
Spread the word | People in their 20s and 60s are the most likely to say publicly who their oshi is (Video Research) | Replays, highlight clips, share coupons |
Back people, not just products | ¥221.2 billion a year in own-site sales came through staff posts (STAFF START) | Grow employees and beauty advisors into regular hosts |
Make a promise: be here at this time, and you'll see us
Fans gather at set times. Crocs Japan ran more than 30 live shows a month on TikTok Shop, showing how to customize shoes with Jibbitz charms, and its GMV in its second month was more than 40 times its first. The more shows you run, the more people drop by at that hour. Starting with even one show a week at a fixed day and time works better than a few big shows on scattered dates.
Make support visible
About 70% of Japanese teens watch official videos and streams as part of oshi-katsu, and 60.9% deliberately rack up views. Watching itself is a way to show support. On live, make that support visible: unveil the next product when likes hit a goal, have the host call out commenters by name, and reward participation with a live quiz or live coupon. Even viewers who don't buy become part of making the show.
Turn your staff into someone's oshi
Japan has a culture of turning store staff into the face of a brand. STAFF START, a service that lets store staff post outfits and reviews on their brand's own site, is used by more than 3,000 brands, and sales through those posts reached ¥221.2 billion (about US$1.4 billion) in a year. FANCL, a Japanese cosmetics and supplements company, ran 145 employee-hosted live shopping shows over three years, and viewers bought about 15% more often (LTV) than non-viewers. @cosme's live program built around its beauty advisors, "Oshiete! Biyo Buin-san LIVE SHOPPING", follows the same idea. Fans of your staff become fans of your brand, and they come back every show without ads.
What should brands watch out for in oshi-katsu marketing?
Fans are most sensitive to hidden ads and overblown claims. In Japan, both are regulated by law.
Say when it's an ad. Since October 1, 2023, hiding that content is an ad (stealth marketing) has been illegal under Japan’s premiums and representations law. If you pay or send products to an influencer, VTuber, or creator to appear on a live show, label the stream and its description clearly with 広告 (ad), PR, or similar. The brand that commissioned it is responsible, not the host.
Cosmetics can only claim certain effects. Under Japan's PMD Act, ordinary cosmetics may advertise only 56 approved effects. Claims about texture, glow, and moisture are fine, but "fades dark spots" or "erases wrinkles" can't be used even if true. This is the easiest mistake to make on an unscripted live show, so share a list of off-limits phrases with hosts and comment moderators in advance.
Respect the oshi's world. When selling collaboration products, staging that clashes with the series or the creator's persona turns fans against you. It's safer to review the staging with the IP holder before the show.
Spend more time with fans than selling to them. The goal of a regular show isn't record sales every time. It's to leave fans a reason to come back next time.
How should companies in Japan and companies entering Japan approach it differently?
Companies already in Japan should use live to deepen relationships with the customers they have. Companies entering Japan should use it to win their first fans.
Companies already in Japan | Companies entering Japan | |
|---|---|---|
First goal | Deepen ties with existing members and store shoppers | Build awareness and win first fans |
How to start | Move in-store service straight to live | Meet people on marketplace and social live, then bring them to your own site |
Who hosts | Employees, beauty advisors, store staff | Japanese staff or local partners, joined by founders or product developers from HQ |
Oshi-katsu connection | Turn staff, series, or characters into favorites | Share the brand's world and product story, and collaborate with creators |
What to track | Member repeat purchase rate and LTV | New members, and follower-to-member conversion |
A 90-day action plan for companies entering Japan
Treat your first 90 days as a time to win people who come back, not to maximize sales. We've split it into four stages, including preparation.
Stage | Timing | What to do | What to track |
|---|---|---|---|
0. Prepare | 2 weeks before launch | Decide who you'll grow into an oshi (employees, founders, developers, creators), check wording against the premiums law and PMD Act, and assign someone to answer in Japanese | Off-limits phrase list, draft show script |
1. First contact | Weeks 1–4 | Build awareness through Qoo10 or TikTok Shop live, or with local creators | Viewers, follower growth |
2. Regular schedule | Weeks 5–8 | Run a weekly show on your own site at the same day and time. Simulcast to social, add AI translation subtitles, announce on LINE | Share of returning viewers, new member sign-ups |
3. Fan rituals | Weeks 9–12 | Host birthday and brand anniversary shows, offer limited sets, post highlight clips | Repeat purchase rate, share of core fans |
If a metric falls short, find the cause before moving to the next stage. Few viewers? Look at how you announce shows. Few returning viewers? Try a different time slot or host. Cut show highlights into short videos and add them to product pages, and fans will have something to share long after the show ends.
For overseas brands, where you come from can be the draw
Korean cosmetics already have a large fan base in Japan. In 2022, Japan's cosmetics imports from Korea reached ¥77.5 billion (about US$490 million), passing France, the long-time leader, for the first time. By 2024 they had grown to about ¥134.2 billion (about US$850 million), according to Japan's Ministry of Finance trade statistics as reported by WWDJAPAN. For overseas brands, a show hosted by developers from HQ or staff from a flagship store back home is itself a point of difference. Even without a Japanese-speaking host, AI live translation subtitles let you talk with Japanese viewers in real time. Add a local team member to answer questions in the comments, and you show both the authenticity of HQ and the care Japanese shoppers expect.
The bottom line
In a country where oshi-katsu has grown into a ¥4 trillion market, supporting someone is a reason to buy. Meet fans at the same time, make their support visible, celebrate milestones together, and turn your staff into someone's oshi. Build your shows around what fans already do, and the fans you make on live become customers who return without ads. If you're entering Japan, start with a 90-day plan: meet people on marketplaces and social apps, then deepen the relationship on your own site.
Shoplive adds live commerce to your own website and app, and its Japan office supports setup and operations directly. See Shoplive live commerce
FAQ
Q. What is oshi-katsu?
It's spending time and money to support an oshi, or favorite, such as an idol, a character, or a series. A January 2026 survey found 24.0% of people in Japan aged 15 to 69, about 19.4 million, practice it.
Q. How big is Japan's oshi-katsu market?
Oshi-katsu Research estimates about ¥4.1 trillion in 2026, and Nomura Research Institute estimated about ¥3.8 trillion as of March 2025. Average yearly spending per person is ¥209,716, but the median is ¥40,000, so a small group of devoted fans drives much of the spending.
Q. How can brands use oshi-katsu in live commerce?
Build shows around what fans already do: a regular schedule so fans know when to show up, likes and comments that make support visible, birthday and anniversary shows, short clips that are easy to share, and employees who become regular hosts.
Q. What laws should brands watch when running live shows with influencers in Japan?
Since October 2023, hiding that content is an ad has been illegal under Japan's premiums and representations law, so labels like 広告 (ad) or PR are required, and the brand that commissioned it is responsible. For cosmetics, the PMD Act limits advertised effects to 56 approved claims, so phrases like "erases wrinkles" can't be used even if true.
Q. How should a company entering Japan start with live commerce?
Treat the first 90 days as a time to win repeat viewers, not maximize sales. Make first contact through marketplace or social live, run a weekly show on your own site at a fixed time from week 5, and build fan rituals with anniversary shows and limited sets from week 9. Adding AI translation subtitles to streams from HQ lets you start without a Japanese-speaking host, and Shoplive's Japan office supports setup and operations directly.
📝 Related reading
References
Oshi-katsu Research (CDG, Oshicoco), 3rd oshi-katsu survey (Jan 2026, Japanese)
Nomura Research Institute, the potential of the oshi-katsu market (Aug 2025, Japanese)
EC no Mikata, Video Research survey on oshi endorsements and purchasing (Oct 2025, Japanese)
Video Research, Oshi-katsu and Fan Engagement Survey 2026 (Mar 2026, Japanese)
Yano Research Institute, VTuber market survey (Apr 2025, Japanese)
Vanish Standard, STAFF START enters its 10th year (Jan 2026, Japanese)
CommercePick, @cosme adopts Shoplive for its live shopping show (Jul 2026, Japanese)
EC no Mikata, TikTok Shop Japan's first year (Jul 2026, Japanese)
Consumer Affairs Agency, stealth marketing is illegal from October 1, 2023 (Japanese)
Netshop Tanto-sha Forum, which testimonials cosmetics ads can and can't use (Japanese)
WWDJAPAN, on the rise of Korean cosmetics imports (Jan 2026, Japanese)
Dollar conversions use the October 20, 2026 rate (US$1 ≈ ¥158).
If you're weighing live commerce in Japan, see it in action in a demo.
