If you've
ever wondered who really sustains the pop culture economy in Japan,
a new survey has the definitive answer. The Yano Research Institute published
on December 22 the results of its annual study conducted
in July 2025, revealing an inconvenient truth: Anime has
the people, but Idols have the money.
In terms of
raw numbers, anime is indisputably the king of pastimes. It is
estimated that there are 5.49 million animation otakus in the
country, followed closely by manga fans with 5.10
million. In third place, and with a considerable gap, are Idols fans
with 3.55 million people.
However,
the story changes when we look at the wallet. While the average annual spending
of an otaku is 50,472 yen (about $323), idol devotees
spend more than twice as much, reaching an average of 121,054 yen ($775)
per year. They are followed by Trading Card collectors (105,928
yen) and PC building enthusiasts (101,930 yen).
The
"Oshi" phenomenon
The study
also explored the concept of having an "Oshi" (someone to
support unconditionally). 64.2% of otakus admitted to having
one, with the majority being Japanese idols, followed by fictional characters.
Interestingly, even 21.5% of "normal" (non-otaku)
people confessed to having an Oshi, proving that the culture of fanatical
support is already part of the Japanese DNA.
