Oshi Culture

Oshi Culture, known in Japanese as Oshikatsu (推し活), is a Japanese subculture dedicated to celebrating idols, both real and fictional. It is a form of Otaku but is primarily done by women, especially after the 2020s. It could carry some negative connotations of being obsessive, like Otaku.

Visuals[]

Customized "happi" (半被) coats
Deco "uchiwa" (うちわ) fans
Glow sticks
Ita bags
Photo "cheki" (チェキ) cards
Photo keychains
Shrines for one's oshi (favorite idol)

The overall aesthetic of ryousangata otaku is defined by the particular way they support their oshi, which is visually done through uploading photos on social media, showing how devoted they are. There are different ways ryousangata otaku take pictures.

One common type of photos that are taken are that of goods and merchandise of their oshi, including uchiwa fans, penlights, keychains, badges, itabags, acrylic stands, photocards, plushies, etc., either just on their own or the goods or whenever the otaku goes out (such as to the city or the beach). In photos of merch, having several of the same item is common (often badges, acrylic stands, keychains, or photocards), as it shows how much someone supports their oshi. Natsume badges

A photo of a huge array of Natsume Sakasaki badges, with a bright filter and a My Melody sticker (by @_ntmnyan_o0)

Another notable feature of the pictures ryousangata otaku take is the fashion, with girly kei being the style that is most common, along with nail art that is based on their oshi.

Often, the photos that these people post have soft, brightly-lit, and sparkly filters applied onto them, giving it an elegant, cute, and affectionate image and vibe.

Sanrio characters are also common, either as shown in outfits as an accessory (for example, bags, plushies, and keychains) or stickers in photos and/or emojis. The cute and fluffy image of Sanrio's characters appeals to many ryousangata otaku, and coordinates well with the overall soft vibe that is associated with the aesthetic. My Melody and Kuromi are the most popular Sanrio characters among ryousangata otaku.

Oshi accessories include itabags, decorated with their oshi's goods, often with a huge amount of them. Along with itabags, there are all sorts of accessories to display goods, for example, pouches and cases for goods like acrylic stands and plushes, keychains to display photocards, trading cards, or bromides. Themed nail art is also often seen in ryousangata otaku.

The fashion that is associated with otaku women of this aesthetic is girly kei fashion. Any style of girly kei is worn by them, with notable ones including sweet girly, dark girly, and french girly. Colors worn by ryousangata otaku include pink, white, and black, but colors that match the oshi's image color are also often seen.

Activities[]

The activities ryousangata otaku do are called otakatsu (オタ活), or wotakatsu (ヲタ活), as well as oshikatsu (推し活) or oshigoto (推し事) for activities for activities focused on a single oshi. Otakatsu and wotakatsu are a portmanteau of "otaku" (オタク)/"wotaku" (ヲタク) and "katsu" (活), meaning "activity", referring to "things done/enjoyed by ota/wota".[9] "Oshikatsu" is a portmanteau of "oshi" and "katsu", with "oshigoto" being play-on words for the Japanese word for "work" (お仕事), replacing "お仕" (oshi) with 推し (oshi).

Otakatsu/wotakatsu and oshikatsu/oshigoto include:

Buying your oshi's merchandise and goods
Donating to your oshi
Listening to your oshi's music
Watching your oshi’s streams
Attending your oshi's live shows and concerts
The process of making an altar for your oshi's birthday party
本人不在の誕生日会 (lit. "birthday party without the person in question")
As the name suggests, these "birthday parties" without the birthday person, and are held by ryousangata otaku, to show their devotion and support for them, and just to celebrate their birthday. They are often held in hotel rooms, karaoke bars, and rental spaces, in which the rooms are decorated with balloons and other party decorations, as well as otaku goods.[10]
Things done in these birthday parties include:[11]
Having a custom cake, based off your oshi
Having an "altar", decorated in your oshi's goods (+ the cake)
Having champagne

Wotakatsu[]

Wotakatsu (ヲタ活) are all general activities done as part of the subculture such as going to concerts, attending events, and buying the latest releases or merchandise. Even if you don't have the chance to partake in anything "live", exchanging with others about your favorite idol groups on social media is a great way to meet other wota.

Oshikatsu[]

Oshikatsu (推し活) refers to all activities related to celebrating your favorite idol (oshi). In addition to idol group members and actors, this can also include fictional characters. The activities of oshikatsu are wide-ranging and there are various ways to enjoy them, but the most popular is crafting goods that promote your favorite with the most popular being ita bags.

Wotagei[]

Wotagei (ヲタ芸) is a dance involving glow sticks made by the audience in support of the performing idol group.

Subgenres[]

Ryousangata Wota[]

Ryousangata Wota (量産型ヲタク) is derived from the observation that female wota are known for posting pictures of themselves attending live events dressed in elaborate Girly Kei outfits, often to the point where many of them look seemingly identically in groups. This has caused many to call wota girls "ryousangata" (量産型), or "mass-produced", in reference to their fashion taste.