【A3 Co., Ltd.】 Even those who are frugal tend to spend money on their favorite idols: Approximately 70% of people who have a favorite idol say they spend money on them. The market size is estimated at approximately 3.9 trillion yen.
A3 Co., Ltd. Press Release: October 16, 2025 Even those who are frugal tend to spend money on their favorite idols: Approximately 70% of people who have a favorite idol say they spend money on them. The market size is estimated at approximately 3.9 trillion yen. Of the approximately 3.9 trillion yen market, the “IP real economic sphere” including merchandise and events is estimated at approximately 2.9 trillion yen. A3 Inc. (Headquarters: Toshima-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Takashi Ozawa), which develops a variety of products and services utilizing IP, conducted a nationwide survey on the topic of “oshikatsu and money” targeting men and women aged 15 to 69. The purpose of this survey is to determine the population size and market size of oshikatsu, as well as to clarify differences by age group and gender. -Major Survey Results Topics- ■Approximately one in three people answered “I have a favorite idol.” The estimated number is 28.28 million people. – Approximately 70% of people who “have a favorite idol” answered that they “spend money on their favorite idol.” – Approximately 30% “do not spend money on their favorite idol” – the potential market is large. ■ The entire idol-loving market is estimated to be approximately 3.9 trillion yen. – Of this, the “IP real economy*” including merchandise and
event-related items is estimated at approximately 2.9 trillion yen. *The economy in the area of physical and real products derived from IP, such as character-related merchandise and stage productions. ■The proportion of people who support their favorite idols and how they spend their money on them has been found to vary significantly depending on generation and gender. ・Generation Z women are the main players in the fan-loving market ・Men in their 30s and 40s are using their financial resources to make big purchases!? ・Men in their 30s spend the most on average of all generations ・Women in their 40s are frugal and smart about their idol activities ・Oshikatsu is popular not only among young people but also among those in their 60s Research overview Survey title: Survey on the realities of fan activities and money Survey participants: Men and women aged 15 to 69 nationwide Sample size: 23,445 people Weighted data based on the “Population Estimates” by the Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, as of October 1, 2023 (Reiwa 5), by gender and age distribution. Research company: Neo Marketing, Inc. Survey period: Tuesday, April 15, 2025 – Thursday, April 17, 2025 Survey method: Online survey Note: The response rate (%) is rounded to the nearest tenth place, so the total may not necessarily add up to 100%. Additionally, the number of people and amount are rounded to the nearest tenth place. Approximately one in three people answered that they have a favorite idol, and of those, about 70% said they spend money on their favorite idol. In this survey, “having an oshi” was defined as having a strong interest in or supporting a character from anime, games, manga, mascots, or a celebrity, athlete, or influencer. The first question asked was, “Do you have an oshi?” 34.8% of respondents answered “yes,” meaning roughly one in three people aged 15 to 69 said they “have an oshi.” Multiplying this response rate by population estimates, the number of people aged 15 to 69 who “have an oshi” is estimated to be approximately 28.28 million.
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/12048/993/12048-993-48c2e33c696149d3fb6db75d326a0834-1090×509.jpg The entire oshikatsu market is estimated to be approximately 3.9 trillion yen per year, of which the “IP real economy” is calculated to be approximately 2.9 trillion yen per year. Next, 1,000 people were randomly selected from those who answered “I spend money on my favorite idol” and asked a multiple-choice question about the average monthly amount they spend on their favorite idol. The results showed that overall, the largest proportion, at 46.5%, spent between 1 yen and 5,000 yen. (Aggregate results after weighting to reflect gender and age distribution) Furthermore, when we calculated the results using the median value for each option (300,000 yen for “300,000 yen or more”), the average monthly expenditure was 16,356 yen. When multiplied by the estimated number of people who “spend money on their favorite idols,” approximately 19.97 million (19,968,351 people), the annual (12-month) market for idol-loving fans was estimated to be approximately 3.9 trillion yen.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/12048/993/12048-993-b36a20b366840e8e330d91cf5f4d9093-1090×548.jpg Furthermore, we also conducted a survey on monthly expenditures for each oshikatsu category, such as “goods and daily necessities,” “events,” “travel expenses,” “paid streaming content,” and “tipping.” Using these results, we calculated the ratio of the “IP real economy,” which is the physical, real area, such as “goods and daily
necessities,” “events,” and “travel expenses,” to the “non-real area,” such as “paid streaming content” and “tipping.” Applying this ratio to the oshikatsu market, which is approximately ¥3.9 trillion, we found that the market size of the “IP real economy” is estimated to be approximately ¥2.9 trillion.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/12048/993/12048-993-a9ee2302cf06a263ff327a53863dd56e-1090×509.jpg It turns out that the percentage of people who support their idols and how they spend their money on them varies greatly depending on generation and gender. While support for idols has become widespread and common, this survey reveals that the number of people involved and the amount spent vary depending on generation and gender. Generation Z Women: The Main Players in the Oshikatsu Market The driving force behind the Oshikatsu market are women in their 15s to 20s, the so-called Generation Z. More than half, or about 52%, answered that they “spend money on their favorite idols,” demonstrating an overwhelmingly higher percentage of people engaging in oshikatsu consumption than other demographics. Furthermore, the average monthly consumption was about 20,000 yen, second only to men in their 30s and 40s, the highest among women, and about 30% higher than men of the same generation. Are men in their 30s and 40s using their financial power to make big purchases? By gender and age, the highest average monthly consumption was for men in their 30s, followed by men in their 40s. People in their 30s and 40s are considered to be in a position where incomes tend to increase, but it is possible that this demographic is spending more of their increased income on hobbies. There also seems to be a tendency for them to purchase expensive items and make bulk purchases when it comes to their favorite idols. Women in their 40s are frugal and smart about their fan activities While men in their 40s had the highest average monthly consumption, women in their 40s had the lowest average monthly consumption. Although the percentage of people who answered “I spend money on my favorite idol” was relatively high, the monthly amount was the lowest, which suggests that this group is smartly spending money on their favorite idols in a frugal manner, taking into consideration the balance with their household budget. Oshikatsu is rooted not only among young people but also among those in their 60s Approximately 9% of men and 15% of women in their 60s said they engage in oshikatsu consumption, demonstrating that oshikatsu is not just a culture for young people. Another characteristic of the older demographic is that many of them are mature fans who have been fans for many years and have been supporting their favorite idols for a long time. The survey revealed that supporting idols is beginning to take root among the senior generation as a hobby that enriches their long lives.
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/12048/993/12048-993-a510c416ceb379ff78572f36fb18b8aa-1091×601.jpg This survey once again highlights that “oshikatsu” is an economic activity spreading nationwide. The market size of approximately 3.9 trillion yen suggests that “oshikatsu” is no longer a fad, but has the potential to become one of the industries driving new growth in the Japanese economy. In addition to the size of the market, a diverse consumer profile based on generation and gender has also emerged. Active consumption continues despite the headwinds of rising prices, and a wide range of generations, from Gen Z to seniors, are
participating in the market in their own unique ways. This
demonstrates the potential of this economic zone. Based on these results, A3 Co., Ltd. will deepen its understanding of fans of all ages and contribute to the creation of a healthy and rich fan activity culture that allows fans and companies to grow together. *Prior confirmation is not required when introducing, quoting, or reprinting the survey content, but we ask that you clearly indicate that the survey is conducted by A3 Co., Ltd. Example: “Researched by A3 Co., Ltd.”, “According to a survey by A3 Co., Ltd.”, etc.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/12048/993/12048-993-65d5aa0c403e4df8b9be21a83500af23-800×704.jpg A3 Co., Ltd. [Company Profile] Company name: A3 Co., Ltd. Established: September 27, 2012 Address: 2F Yamatane Ikebukuro Building, 1-11-22 Minamiikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo Representative: Representative Director Takashi Ozawa Website: https://athree3.com/ Contact: https://athree3.com/contact/ [Business details] IP Real Platform Business [Official Website URLs] eeo Store:
https://eeo.today/store/101/ eeo Media: https://eeo.today/media/ eeo Stage: https://eeo.today/stage/ Oshikatsu latest information (OSHI ): https://eeo.today/store/101/specialfeature/oshiplus MomentumBase: https://athree3.com/momentumbase/