Traditionally, people in Japan have used butsudan, or Buddhist altars, to remember their loved ones. But as Japan’s population dwindles, the butsudan business has fallen on hard times. Now, a new product targeting a younger generation is giving the struggling death altar business a boost.
The rise of oshi
If you are an old fogey like me, you may be wondering: what is an oshi? Oshi is the word Japanese superfans use to refer to their favorite artist, idol, actor, sports player, or whoever else they’ve decided is their number one.
During the world health crisis, face-to-face meetings became less frequent and people needed social interaction. They turned to fan culture. Supporting their fave gave them an outlet and a way to connect with other people online.
The word ๆจใ (oshi) comes from the first kanji in ๆจ่ฆ suisen, which means recommendation, and on its own means to push. Fans recommend and push their favorites to success with their efforts. It became firmly rooted in the lexicon around 2020. Those who enthusiastically support their oshi are engaged in oshi-katsu or the superfan lifestyle.
Fan culture isn’t new in Japan. Otaku culture is well known. Maid cafes and idol groups profit from the devotion of these dedicated fanbases.
Otaku is primarily a male-oriented, insular fandom that doesn’t have the best connotations in Japan. In contrast, oshi-katsu is more mainstream and open to anyone with an obsessive love in their heart. It’s an activity that appeals to both teens and grown-ups. (Just ask this one overly-dedicated Hatsune Miku fan.)
Oshi-katsu are the activities you engage in to support your oshi. These can include attending numerous events, following them on tour, buying lots of merchandise, or watching all their video streams.
An old tradition gets a new direction
Now, there’s a new way to show your devotion: praying to them on an altar.
The Hasegawa company makes butsudan, altars for offerings and prayers to deceased loved ones. While once a widespread practice, it’s become less popular over the years. Butsudan tend to be large and expensive, making them inaccessible for young people with small apartments and even smaller budgets.
With the decline in sales, the company is always looking for fresh ideas to revitalize the business. Which is how they ended up in the oshi-katsu business.
The โoshidanโ is an altar where you can pray to your oshi. Itโs designed to display acrylic stands and figures of your favorite star. You can adjust the height and illuminate it with LED lights in 20 different colors. The company uses the same materials and techniques as a real Shinto altar.
The altars cost 13,750 yenย (USD $90). The company didn’t want them to be too cheap or people wouldnโt use them properly. They also couldn’t make them too expensive. Their target market is cash-strapped teens and young adults, after all.
They decided on the price by researching the average cost of Oshikatsu goods. Considering a traditional butsudan is around 290000 yen ($1,900), the oshidan is a steal.
When they announced the sale via X, the Hasegawa account had only 15 followers. The “oshidan” post quickly amassed 11,000 reposts and 8,900 likes, far exceeding the company’s expectations. Hasegawa won’t say how many units sold but disclosed that 10% were reserved on the first day alone.
They save me
The oshidan are the brainchild of 24-year-old employee Gunji Mana. She’s been working in the company’s product development team for three years. When the company asked for suggestions for new products, she suggested that they create altars for oshi.
Gunji is a self-professed super fan herself. The idea for the oshidan came to her because she’d been displaying her oshi on her home altar since college, praying to them for help and guidance. She credits them with helping her find her current job after she prayed for employment at the altar. Her friend encouraged her to use her current job to do something to support oshi-katsu and so she submitted the idea.
Gunji says, “My oshi are my identity and affiliation,” and goes on to say that they saved her mental health.
Praying to the living
While the young employee may have been all for her new idea, getting the board to approve it took some cajoling.
The board members are her parent’s age, and the idea seemed far-fetched. One director said they’d been in the altars and grave business for 25 years and never heard of “praying to the living.” Several board members were confused as to what an oshi even is. One asked if it was referring to the figures their son collects.
Gunji explained that she owed her continued existence to God, Buddha, and her ancestors but also her oshi. That they have given her the drive to live and that, for millennials and Gen-Z, oshi are precious. Her impassioned plea struck a chord with the directors, who could now understand the fervor of superfans and why they’d want to pray to them.
Fun for the whole family
While the Hasegawa board members may not be into the oshi-katsu lifestyle, the older generations are finding their way in through their kids. Inevitably exposed to their kid’s object of obsession, some parents end up just as enamored. They also see it as a way to bridge the generation gap, giving them a shared interest to talk to their kids about.
Some parents say that going to shows and buying goods is a bonding activity, even if they can get a little competitive with their kids over who is more devoted. The kids say it’s great that their parents join rather than judge their interests. It probably helps that the parents are also more willing to foot the bill for merchandise.
With the growing oshi trend spanning generations, there may be a day when an oshidan is as common as a butsudan once was.
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Sources
ๆจใใซ็ฅใ๏ฝข1ไธๅใใๆจใๅฃ๏ฝฃใๅฃฒใใพใใ่ๆฏ. Toyo Keizai
ๅขใใใ่ฆชๅญใงๆจใๆดปใไธๅฎถๅ จๅกใงใขใคใใซๆ ๅ่ฆ่ดใๆทฑใพใๅฎถๆ้ใณใใฅใใฑใผใทใงใณ. Aera Dot
ๆจใใฎ็บใฎ็ฅญๅฃใๆจใๅฃใใ่ฒฉๅฃฒ้ๅง๏ผPRTimes
