Oshi-Katsu Chronicle 1992: The MD Walkman, Sailor Moon, Street Fighter II and a 14-Year-Old's Olympic Gold
1992 was the year TV broadcasts of Sailor Moon (Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon), Crayon Shin-chan and YuYu Hakusho began one after another. Waiting in front of the television on a set evening each week to follow girls who transform to fight or a cast of distinctive companions became a shared habit for children and adults alike.
In music and everyday entertainment, Sony’s portable “MD Walkman” and the phone-line-connected online karaoke system “JOYSOUND” arrived. Recording favorite songs onto a compact disc to carry around, and singing the latest hit singles and anime theme songs with friends at karaoke boxes, took hold as new ways to enjoy favorite works.
- X at Tokyo DomeThree straight days
- Sailor Moon beginsOn TV Asahi
- LUNA SEA debutMajor debut with IMAGE
- Street Fighter II at homeThe Super Famicom version
- MD Walkman launchesThe MZ-1, at 79,800 yen
New characters, new machines and bigger stages in one year.
Birth of the MD Walkman and the Online Karaoke System “JOYSOUND”
On November 1, Sony released the first MD Walkman able to both record and play back, the “MZ-1,” priced at ¥79,800, alongside the playback-only “MZ-2P” and blank recordable MiniDiscs. The MiniDisc housed a 6.4-centimeter magneto-optical disc inside a protective plastic cartridge and could hold up to 74 minutes of music (Sony: product materials, in Japanese; History of development, in Japanese).
By choosing favorite tracks from CDs at home and recording them onto an MD, listeners could reorder tracks freely or skip directly to any song while on the move. The pleasure of assembling a personal “best-of” mix, long familiar on cassette tape, carried over to a compact digital disc resistant to skipping.
- MZ-1
- Records and plays back. Released November 1 at ¥79,800.
- MZ-2P
- A playback-only model.
- 01Choose songsPick your oshi's tracks
- 02Record onto an MDAt home, from a CD and so on
- 03Set the orderPart of the fun
- 04Play outsidePlayer and disc go together
Like a mixtape, but on a small recordable disc.
In October of the same year, XING Inc., founded in May by Brother Industries, INTEC and partners, launched the “JS-1,” the first commercial machine for its online karaoke system “JOYSOUND.” Earlier karaoke systems required each shop to buy laserdiscs or cassettes one by one, so it took months for new releases to appear. By delivering digitized song data over ISDN phone lines, online karaoke made it possible to sing brand-new singles and anime theme songs at karaoke boxes almost immediately after release (XING corporate history, in Japanese; JOYSOUND 30th anniversary history, in Japanese).
X’s Three Days at Tokyo Dome, and LUNA SEA’s Major Debut
From January 5 to 7, the rock band X held three straight days of concerts at Tokyo Dome titled “Toward Destruction.” It was the first time a Japanese artist had played Tokyo Dome three days in a row, filling the same stadium where they had made their debut appearance the previous August for three consecutive nights (Tokyo Dome: performance records, in Japanese; Billboard JAPAN, in Japanese).
Following these concerts, bassist TAIJI left the band, and in August HEATH was announced as the new bassist. Looking ahead to international activities and distinguishing themselves from an American band of the same name, the group renamed itself “X JAPAN” (Imidas, in Japanese).
On May 21, LUNA SEA—who had released their first album the year before on Extasy Records, the independent label headed by X’s YOSHIKI—made their major debut with the album IMAGE. In that same month of May, Mr.Children made their major debut with the mini-album EVERYTHING, and THE YELLOW MONKEY debuted with the single “Romantist Taste.” Bands that would fill domes and stadiums throughout the 1990s took their first steps together that spring (LUNA SEA official: discography, in Japanese).
Million-Selling Drama Theme Songs, and Myojo’s Renewal
Another hallmark of 1992 was the succession of television drama theme songs selling well over two million copies. Kome Kome Club’s “Kimi ga Iru dake de / Aishiteru,” released May 4 as the theme song for the Fuji TV drama Sugao no Mama de, sold a cumulative 2.895 million copies and won the Grand Prix in the Pop and Rock category at the 34th Japan Record Awards at year-end (Japan Composers Association, in Japanese).
Shogo Hamada’s “Kanashimi wa Yuki no Yo ni” (“Sorrow Like Snow”), a 1981 album track reissued as a single, was chosen as the theme song of the drama Ai to Iu Na no Moto ni and sold more than 1.7 million copies. In summer, Southern All Stars released “Namida no Kiss” as the theme for the TBS drama Zutto Anata ga Suki Datta, achieving the group’s first million-selling single. Maki Ohguro, who debuted in May with “STOP MOTION,” also topped one million copies with her second single, “DA・KA・RA,” released in September (Shogo Hamada official, in Japanese; Maki Ohguro official, in Japanese).
According to Recording Industry Association of Japan statistics, CD production in 1992 reached about 333.23 million units and ¥438.5 billion in value, up 11.3% in volume and 9.7% in value from the previous year, as buying new releases at CD shops strongly propelled the music market (Recording Industry Association of Japan, in Japanese).
Meanwhile, Shueisha’s idol magazine Myojo marked its 40th anniversary with its November 1992 issue by changing its logo to the Latin-letter “Myojo” and revamping its format and pages. Having reached a peak circulation of 1.87 million copies in 1988, the magazine sought a new editorial direction as television music programs ended one after another, switching its cover from a mix of male and female stars to a focus on male idols (Shueisha, in Japanese).
Sailor Moon, Shin-chan, YuYu Hakusho and the Energy of Shojo Manga Magazines
On March 7, the TV anime Sailor Moon, based on Naoko Takeuchi’s manga serialized in Kodansha’s Nakayoshi, premiered at 7 p.m. on Saturdays on the TV Asahi network. The story of clumsy, tearful eighth-grader Usagi Tsukino joining forces with her fellow Sailor Guardians blended the magical-girl tradition with team-hero action, drawing a wide audience across age groups (Toei Animation, in Japanese).
On April 13, Crayon Shin-chan, based on Yoshito Usui’s manga, began airing at 7 p.m. on Mondays on the same TV Asahi network. Portraying five-year-old kindergartner Shinnosuke Nohara sweeping up family and friends in his unhurried antics, the show inspired children across the country to imitate his catchphrases and gestures (TV Asahi: 1992 broadcast record, in Japanese).
Then on October 10, Yoshihiro Togashi’s Weekly Shonen Jump manga YuYu Hakusho premiered as a Saturday 7:30 p.m. anime on the Fuji TV network. Following delinquent teenager Yusuke Urameshi as he returns to life as a Spirit Detective and battles formidable foes alongside Kazuma Kuwabara, Kurama and Hiei, the series won a huge following among female fans as well, fueling hit character-song CDs sung by the voice cast and regular features in anime magazines (Studio Pierrot official, in Japanese; Animate Times, in Japanese).
- March 7Sailor Moon
- Based on the manga by Naoko Takeuchi. It aired Saturday evenings on the TV Asahi network.
- April 13Crayon Shin-chan
- Based on the manga by Yoshito Usui. It aired on Mondays when it began.
Sailor Moon
- Girls transform and fight
- Each guardian's personality and costume
- Toys imitating the transformation items
Crayon Shin-chan
- A kindergartner and his family
- Everyday life with friends
- The fun of laughing at conversations and gestures
Different worlds, but both were a weekly appointment.
Transformation brooches and the “Moon Stick” toy released alongside the Sailor Moon broadcast sold out repeatedly during the Christmas season. Both Nakayoshi and Shueisha’s Ribon—which serialized Megumi Mizusawa’s Hime-chan’s Ribbon and Wataru Yoshizumi’s Marmalade Boy—expanded circulation sharply, and collecting the monthly furoku (stationery sets, notebooks and paper bags bundled with each issue) to trade and show off with friends colored everyday school life (Toei Animation, in Japanese; Shueisha corporate history, in Japanese).
Playing Street Fighter II and Dragon Quest V at Home, and Porco Rosso in Theaters
On June 10, the Super Famicom version of Street Fighter II went on sale, bringing the arcade fighting phenomenon into living rooms so players could battle friends and siblings without worrying about 100-yen coins. The Super Famicom release sold 2.88 million copies in Japan and 6.3 million worldwide (Famitsu.com, in Japanese).
On August 27, Nintendo released Super Mario Kart, making split-screen two-player racing a household staple. Next, in Enix’s Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride, released September 27, a mid-story choice in which the hero must pick either childhood friend Bianca or wealthy heiress Flora as his bride sparked lively debate in schools and workplaces across Japan (Dragon Quest official, in Japanese).
The doujinshi convention Comic Market was held at the Harumi fairgrounds in Tokyo again this year, drawing 250,000 attendees over two days at the 42nd event in August and 180,000 at the 43rd in December, with fan books inspired by Sailor Moon and YuYu Hakusho multiplying rapidly. In movie theaters, Studio Ghibli’s Porco Rosso (Kurenai no Buta), directed by Hayao Miyazaki and released in July, earned ¥2.8 billion in distribution income to finish No. 1 overall at the Japanese box office ahead of all foreign films (Comic Market Preparation Committee, in Japanese; Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, in Japanese).
- 250,000
- Summer attendees
- 180,000
- Winter attendees
Each figure is the total for two days.
14-Year-Old Kyoko Iwasaki Wins Olympic Gold: Getting to Know Athletes Through Broadcasts
At the Barcelona Olympics held in Spain in July and August, 14-year-old eighth-grader Kyoko Iwasaki won the gold medal in the women’s 200 m breaststroke. It was Japan’s first Olympic swimming gold in 20 years, and her post-race remark—“This is the happiest I’ve ever been in my life”—stayed in viewers’ memories across the country, while Yuko Arimori also won silver in the women’s marathon (Japanese Olympic Committee, in Japanese).
In grand sumo, Takahanada became the youngest top-division champion in history at 19 years and 5 months at the January tournament and won a second title in September, further accelerating the “Wakataka boom.” In professional baseball’s Japan Series, Manager Masaaki Mori’s Seibu Lions and Manager Katsuya Nomura’s Yakult Swallows battled through seven games—four of them going into extra innings—before Seibu claimed a third straight Japan championship, while in September the ten J.League clubs began competing in the Yamazaki Nabisco Cup ahead of the league’s inaugural season (Japan Sumo Association: Takanohana, in Japanese; Nippon Professional Baseball: 1992 Japan Series, in Japanese; Japan Football Association, in Japanese).
Key Events of the Year
- Jan. 5–7X plays three straight days at the Tokyo DomeMusic
- Jan.Takahanada wins his first top-division title as a maegashira (14 wins, 1 loss)Sports
- Feb.Shogo Hamada's "Kanashimi wa Yuki no Yo ni" hits No. 1 for the first timeMusic
- Mar. 7Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon begins broadcastingAnime
- Apr. 13Crayon Shin-chan begins broadcastingAnime
- May 4Kome Kome Club releases "Kimi ga Iru dake de / Aishiteru"Music
- May 21LUNA SEA makes its major debut with "IMAGE"Music
- MayMaki Ohguro debuts with "STOP MOTION"Music
- Jun. 10Street Fighter II is released for the Super Famicom (SFC)Games
- Jul. 25–Aug. 9The Barcelona Olympics are heldSports
- Jul. 2714-year-old Kyoko Iwasaki wins Olympic gold in swimmingSports
- Aug. 15–16Comic Market 42 (250,000 total visits over 2 days)Fan works
- Sep. 27Dragon Quest V: Tenku no Hanayome is releasedGames
- Oct. 17–26Seibu beats Yakult 4 games to 3 in the Japan SeriesSports
- Nov. 1The MZ-1, an MD Walkman that records and plays back, goes on saleDevices
- Dec. 29–30Comic Market 43 (180,000 total visits over 2 days)Fan works
- Dec. 31Kome Kome Club wins the Grand Prize in the Pop and Rock category at the Japan Record AwardsMusic
The Year’s Buzzword Awards
- Grand PrizeKin-san Gin-san (the centenarian twin sisters)
- Kin Narita, Gin Kanie
- Quotation AwardUreshii you na, kanashii you na ("Happy, and yet sad")
- Kin-san Gin-san
- Quotation AwardHadaka no otsukiai ("A relationship with nothing hidden")
- Kin-san Gin-san
- New words · GoldHome-goroshi ("killing with praise," praising someone to damage them)
- Taiichiro Kobayashi
- New words · SilverCard hasan ("credit-card bankruptcy")
- Kenji Utsunomiya
- New words · BronzeMotsunabe (offal hot pot)
- Shuichi Inoue
- Expression · GoldFukugo fukyo ("compound recession")
- Yoshikazu Miyazaki
- Expression · Silver9K (the nine "K" words describing undesirable jobs)
- Hisako Ejiri
- Expression · BronzeShacho kaicho (wordplay on "president / chairman," with characters meaning "apologize" and "regret")
- Yuko Urakami
- Popular phrases · GoldFuyuhiko-san (the mama's-boy husband in the drama Zutto Anata ga Suki Datta)
- Shiro Sano, Yoko Nogiwa
- Popular phrases · SilverNee, chu shite ("Hey, give me a kiss")
- Toshiaki Karasawa
- Popular phrases · BronzeJoshinsho ("written statement")
- Tadashi Kobayashi
- Popular words · GoldUchu jugyo ("classes in space")
- Mamoru Mori
- Popular words · SilverKashu no Koganezawa-kun ("Koganezawa the singer")
- Shoji Koganezawa
- Popular words · BronzeTwin Peaks
- Twin Peaks fan club
- Special words · Special AwardTime for Change
- U.S. Embassy in Japan
At the ninth New Words and Buzzwords Awards, the year’s grand prize went to “Kin-san Gin-san,” the 100-year-old twin sisters beloved through television commercials. The gold prize in the trendy-phrase category went to “Fuyuhiko-san,” the mother-obsessed husband played by Shiro Sano in the TBS drama Zutto Anata ga Suki Datta, while Kyoko Iwasaki’s Barcelona Olympics quote, “This is the happiest I’ve ever been in my life,” won the gold prize in the expression category (Jiyu Kokuminsha: winners of the ninth awards, in Japanese).
In 1993, the professional soccer J.League kicked off and the word “supporter” took root for fans cheering in club jerseys at the stadium. In music, million-sellers by ZARD and B’z continued while “Shibuya-kei” sounds spread from large CD shops in Shibuya.
FAQ
What did X do in 1992?
From January 5 to 7, they held three straight days of shows at Tokyo Dome titled "Toward Destruction." It was the first time a Japanese artist had played Tokyo Dome three days in a row. That year, in connection with a move to an overseas label, they changed their name to "X JAPAN."
When did LUNA SEA make their major debut?
On May 21, 1992, with the album *IMAGE*. It followed an album they had put out independently the year before.
What was the best-selling single of 1992?
Kome Kome Club's "Kimi ga Iru dake de / Aishiteru," released May 4. Its opening sales of 925,000 were the highest ever at the time, and cumulative sales reached 2.895 million. At the 34th Japan Record Awards at year-end it took the grand prize in the Pop and Rock category.
What were the representative anime that began in 1992?
*Sailor Moon* (*Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon*) on March 7 and *Crayon Shin-chan* on April 13, both on TV Asahi. At the start of broadcast, Sailor Moon aired on Saturdays and Crayon Shin-chan on Mondays.
How many CDs were produced in 1992?
According to the Recording Industry Association of Japan, CD production in 1992 was about 333.23 million units, worth ¥438.5 billion (roughly $2.9 billion). Those figures were up 11.3% and 9.7% from the previous year, so the CD as a format was still growing.
How did fans get in touch with each other in 1992?
They used landline phones, letters and reader-submission pages in magazines. At the same time, personal-computer networking had 1.15 million users in 1991, and conversations by hobby took place in forums on NIFTY-Serve and PC-VAN.
