Oshi-Katsu Chronicle 2005: AKB48 Theater and YouTube Are Born, Songs Sold on iTunes, and the Songs of NANA

In 2005, the iTunes Music Store, an online store for buying music, launched in Japan. Choosing songs on a computer, transferring them to an iPod, and carrying them outdoors became far simpler. Starting in the spring, the 2005 World Exposition in Aichi (Expo 2005 Aichi) drew roughly 22.05 million visitors over its six-month run.

In the film NANA, songs by the bands in the manga were released as real-world CDs, while television audiences tuned in to the second season of Gokusen and Hana yori Dango (Boys Over Flowers). At the end of the year, AKB48 began performing at their own dedicated theater in Akihabara. In the United States, the video-sharing site YouTube was born, marking a year in which new forms of fan support took root both online and at live venues.

iTunes Launches in Japan: Pick Songs, Load Them on an iPod, Carry Them Around

On August 4, Apple’s iTunes Music Store began service in Japan. Fifteen Japanese record companies participated at launch, offering roughly 1 million songs priced at ¥150 or ¥200 per track. Users could listen to a 30-second preview on their computer, buy individual songs, and download them on the spot. Apple

Japan already had PC music-download services as well as “Chaku-Uta Full” full-track downloads for mobile phones. The strength of iTunes was that buying songs, organizing playlists, and transferring tracks to an iPod could all be completed inside a single piece of software. One million songs were downloaded in the first four days, establishing the habit of searching for tracks on a PC before heading to a CD shop.

By that point, the iTunes Music Store had sold more than 500 million songs worldwide, and cumulative iPod sales had passed 21 million units. In September, Apple also unveiled the ultra-thin portable music player “iPod nano,” and more people could be seen around town wearing one on a lanyard or slipping it into a pocket to carry their favorite artists’ songs everywhere. Apple

August 4

Service begins in Japan.

About 1 million songs

The catalog at launch, priced at ¥150 or ¥200 a song.

More than 500 million songs

Sold worldwide by that point. iPod sales had also passed 21 million units.

In addition to credit cards, customers could pay with the prepaid “iTunes Music Card” sold at electronics retailers and convenience stores. Because users could load a pre-purchased balance onto their account, middle and high school students without credit cards could also buy songs with their pocket money. Apple

“Seishun Amigo”: Two Singers, Named for Their Drama Roles

On November 2, “Shuji to Akira,” a limited-time unit formed by Kazuya Kamenashi and Tomohisa Yamashita, released “Seishun Amigo.” It served as the theme song for the Nippon TV Saturday drama Nobuta wo Produce, in which both starred, and the unit name came from their characters, Shuji Kiritani and Akira Kusano. ORICON’s article at the time (in Japanese)

The single reached a cumulative 1.059 million copies in its fourth week on the charts, achieving million-seller status. It was the first single to pass 1 million copies in a year and seven months, since Naotaro Moriyama’s “Sakura (Dokusho),” and it topped Oricon’s annual singles ranking for 2005. Across Japan, pairs of students memorized the chorus choreography and danced side by side at karaoke boxes and school festivals. ORICON article from the time (in Japanese)

On April 27, the five-member South Korean vocal group TVXQ (Tohoshinki) made their Japanese debut with “Stay With Me Tonight.” By releasing songs recorded in Japanese and appearing at regional events and on music programs, they steadily built a close bond with fans in Japan. TVXQ official site (in Japanese) / Natalie Music (in Japanese)

At the year-end Japan Record Awards, Kumi Koda won the Grand Prix with “Butterfly.” Her bold costumes and dance routines popularized the “ero-kakkoii” (sexy and cool) style among young women. AAA won Best New Artist, and the Best Album award went to Ketsumeishi’s Ketsunopolis 4, propelled by their hit single “Sakura.” ORANGE RANGE’s album ИATURAL and D-51’s “NO MORE CRY” were also widely played throughout the year. Japan Composers Association (in Japanese)

The Excitement of the Film NANA, Gokusen, and Hana yori Dango

Manga artist Ai Yazawa’s girls’ manga NANA opened in theaters as a live-action film in September. The story follows two young women named Nana who meet on a train bound for Tokyo and navigate band life and romance. In the film, Mika Nakashima played punk band vocalist Nana Osaki and Aoi Miyazaki played Nana Komatsu. Japanese Movie Database (in Japanese)

Mika Nakashima released the theme song “GLAMOROUS SKY” under the name “NANA starring MIKA NAKASHIMA,” taking No. 1 on the Oricon weekly chart. Yuna Ito also released the insert song “ENDLESS STORY” under the name of Reira, the rival band’s vocalist she played in the movie (“REIRA starring YUNA ITO”). Songs by fictional bands from the story lined the top of the real-world music charts, drawing both readers of the manga and music listeners to buy the CDs. Sony Music, “GLAMOROUS SKY” (in Japanese) / About “ENDLESS STORY” (in Japanese)

The film NANA grossed ¥4.03 billion at the box office. That same year, Train Man (Densha Otoko), born from anonymous bulletin-board posts, became a film earning ¥3.7 billion, while Always: Sunset on Third Street (ALWAYS San-chome no Yuhi), depicting Tokyo in 1958, became a long-running hit at ¥3.23 billion. On television, the second season of Gokusen starring Yukie Nakama recorded a 32.5% audience rating for its finale, focusing intense popularity on student cast members Kazuya Kamenashi, Jin Akanishi, Mokomichi Hayami, Teppei Koike, and Keisuke Koide. In autumn, the first season of Hana yori Dango starring Mao Inoue, Jun Matsumoto, and Shun Oguri aired alongside 1 Litre of Tears, following summer’s Dragon Zakura starring Hiroshi Abe, fueling the enjoyment of cheering for drama characters and theme songs together. Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan (in Japanese) / Video Research (in Japanese)

GLAMOROUS SKY

The theme song, released by Mika Nakashima as "NANA starring MIKA NAKASHIMA."

ENDLESS STORY

Sung by Yuna Ito with the name of Reira, her character in the film, attached.

Box office

¥4.03 billion.

1. 01MangaThe characters and the band
2. 02FilmActors perform and sing
3. 03CDsBand songs to buy and replay
4. 04TheatersWeb and manga hits reach the big screen

From manga to film to CD.

Expo 2005 Aichi Opens, and the Tsukuba Express and Nintendo DS Spread

From March 25 to September 25, the 2005 World Exposition, Aichi, Japan (Expo 2005 Aichi) was held across Nagakute, Toyota, and Seto in Aichi Prefecture. Under the theme “Nature’s Wisdom,” 121 countries and four international organizations took part, and total attendance over the 185 days reached 22,049,544, far surpassing the initial target of 15 million. Visitors crowded the grounds collecting plush toys and lapel pins of the official mascots Morizo and Kikkoro. Global Industrial and Social Progress Research Institute (Expo 2005 Official Record) (in Japanese)

Inside the site, frozen mammoth remains excavated from Siberian permafrost, partner-robot musical performances at the Toyota Group Pavilion, and “Satsuki and Mei’s House”—Studio Ghibli’s faithful recreation of the Kusakabe family home from My Neighbor Totoro—drew long lines. Touring pavilions with reservation slips and numbered tickets and filling Expo stamp books with stamps from each country became a signature pastime of 2005. Global Industrial and Social Progress Research Institute (Expo 2005 Official Record) (in Japanese)

On August 24, the Tsukuba Express (TX) railway line opened, linking Akihabara in Tokyo with Tsukuba in Ibaraki Prefecture in as little as 45 minutes. Around Akihabara Station, Yodobashi Camera Multimedia Akiba and the Akihabara Crossfield complex opened in quick succession, transforming the district’s landscape from a traditional electronics town into a hub for pop culture. In video games, the Nintendo DS—launched at the end of the previous year—produced million-selling hits with nintendogs, Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day!, and Animal Crossing: Wild World, bringing stylus controls and Wi-Fi communication to a wide range of ages. Nintendo (in Japanese)

The AKB48 Theater Opens: Going to Shows to Get to Know the Members

On December 8, the AKB48 Theater opened on the 8th floor of the Don Quijote Akihabara store in Tokyo, and 20 first-generation members chosen from 7,924 applicants took the stage for their inaugural performance, “PARTY ga Hajimaru yo.” Built around the concept of “idols you can go to meet,” having a permanent dedicated theater seating roughly 250 people was the group’s starting point. ORICON NEWS (in Japanese) / Looking back at the first show, Real Sound (in Japanese)

Even before the group became known nationwide on television and in magazines, fans could visit the theater in Akihabara almost every day to watch them sing and dance up close. At opening, tickets cost ¥1,000 for seated admission and ¥500 for standing room. Complete with the two structural pillars inside the hall that partially blocked the view of the stage, the culture of commuting to the venue to watch a favorite member grow took shape here. Real Sound’s look back at the first show (in Japanese)

Record of the first show, Real Sound (in Japanese)

After shows, audience questionnaires and blog posts helped fans share their impressions, leading to the group’s indie CD release in February 2006 and their major-label debut in October 2006.

mixi Reaches 2 Million; YouTube Gets Its First Video

The invite-only social network mixi launched a paid premium membership service in January, and its user count passed 1 million in August and 2 million in December—a tenfold jump in roughly one year from 200,000 the previous November. Beyond writing diaries for friends, users joined “communities” created for specific bands, anime series, actors, and sports teams to discuss episodes right after broadcast and trade concert-tour tips. mixi official chronology (in Japanese)

On “Ameba Blog (Ameblo),” launched by CyberAgent the previous September, celebrities and entertainers began opening official blogs one after another. Reading behind-the-scenes stories from TV recordings and seeing photos of casual outfits in the performers’ own words turned celebrity blogs into a daily stop for fans.

In the United States, the YouTube domain was registered on February 14, and its first video, “Me at the zoo,” was uploaded on April 23. It was a 19-second clip in which co-founder Jawed Karim spoke in front of the elephants at the San Diego Zoo. YouTube official / Record of the first video

YouTube opened as a beta in May and launched officially in December, spreading a way to play and share videos directly inside a web browser without installing special software.

mixi

Membership reached 1 million in August and 2 million in December.

YouTube

The website was registered on February 14. The first video, "Me at the zoo," was posted on April 23, and a beta opened in May.

Lotte Win Their First Japan Series in 31 Years; Rakuten’s First Season

In Nippon Professional Baseball’s Pacific League, the Chiba Lotte Marines, managed by Bobby Valentine, finished second in the regular season and won through the playoffs to capture the league pennant. At the time, the Pacific League used a short postseason playoff among the top three teams to decide the league champion, and the five-game second-stage battle against SoftBank drew intense cheering. Nippon Professional Baseball (in Japanese)

In the Japan Series, Lotte swept the Hanshin Tigers in four straight games by a combined score of 33–4 to claim their first Japan championship in 31 years. Game 1 on October 22 at Chiba Marine Stadium also produced a rare scene when thick fog forced the game to be called with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning. Lotte’s synchronized cheering style—with fans dressed in black and white jumping and singing in unison in the right-field stands—also caught the attention of baseball fans across the country. Japan Series records (in Japanese)

Following the previous year’s league realignment, the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles joined the Pacific League as a new franchise based in Sendai. Under manager Yasushi Tao, the team finished its inaugural season at 38–97–1, while baseball fans across the Tohoku region packed the newly renovated Fullcast Stadium Miyagi. Nippon Professional Baseball (in Japanese)

At Comic Market, where fans bring self-published books and independent works, Comic Market 68 in August drew a total of 480,000 attendees over three days and Comic Market 69 in December drew 350,000 over two days. Comic Market Preparation Committee (in Japanese)

480,000

Total attendees, summer (three days)

350,000

Total attendees, winter (two days)

Source: Comic Market Preparation Committee (in Japanese)

Key Events of the Year

1. Jan.mixi starts a premium membership serviceMedia
2. Feb. 14The YouTube website domain is registeredVideo
3. Apr. 23The first video, "Me at the zoo," is posted to YouTubeVideo
4. Apr. 27TVXQ make their Japan debut with "Stay With Me Tonight"Music
5. Aug. 4iTunes Music Store launches in JapanMedia
6. Aug.mixi passes 1 million membersMedia
7. Aug. 12–14Comic Market 68 (480,000 total visits over three days)Fan works
8. Sep. 3The film NANA opens, and the songs by its on-screen band come out on CDFilm
9. Oct. 6Nomura Research Institute publishes an otaku market survey (12 fields)Business
10. From Oct.Rozen Maiden Träumend begins broadcastingAnime
11. Oct. 22–26In the Japan Series, the Chiba Lotte Marines sweep four straight and win the title for the first time in 31 yearsSports
12. Nov. 2Shuji to Akira release "Seishun Amigo" (1 million copies in its fourth week)Music
13. Dec. 1"Moe~" makes the Top 10 at the 22nd Buzzwords of the Year awardsSociety
14. Dec.mixi reaches 2 million membersMedia
15. Dec. 8The AKB48 Theater opens in Akihabara (capacity about 250)Idols
16. Dec. 29–30Comic Market 69 (350,000 total visits over two days)Fan works
17. Dec. 31At the 47th Japan Record Awards, Koda Kumi's "Butterfly" wins the Grand PrixMusic

1. February 14YouTube site registeredThe first video follows in April
2. April 27TVXQ debuts in JapanStay With Me Tonight
3. August 4iTunes Music Store opensAbout 1 million songs at launch
4. October 22Foggy Japan Series Game 1Lotte go on to sweep Hanshin
5. November 2Seishun Amigo releasedA drama duo becomes a music unit
6. December 8AKB48 Theater opens20 members, about 250 seats

Buying, watching and going to shows all moved in new directions.

The Year’s Buzzword Awards

Grand PrizeKoizumi gekijo ("Koizumi Theater," politics as show business)

Tsutomu Takebe (Secretary-General, Liberal Democratic Party)

Grand PrizeSoteinai (gai) ("within expectations (beyond expectations)," Horie's catchphrase)

Takafumi Horie (President, Livedoor)

Top 10Cool Biz

Yuriko Koike (Minister of the Environment)

Top 10Shikaku ("assassin," the party's hand-picked challengers against postal-privatization rebels)

Recipient declined

Top 10Choi moteoyaji ("the slightly popular middle-aged guy")

Ichiro Kishida (Editor-in-Chief, LEON)

Top 10Fooo! (catchphrase of comedian Razor Ramon HG)

Razor Ramon HG

Top 10Fuyuso (the "affluent class")

Yoshikazu Tanaka (President, Sumishin Wealth Partners)

Top 10Blog

Kazuma (blogger of "Oniyome Nikki")

Top 10Bobby Magic (praise for the managing style of Chiba Lotte manager Bobby Valentine)

Saburo, Toshiaki Imae (Chiba Lotte Marines)

Top 10Moe~ ("moe," deep affection for a character or thing, which went mainstream in 2005)

Kanzen Maid Sengen (Akihabara maid group)

At the 22nd Buzzword of the Year Awards, the grand prizes went to “Koizumi Gekijo” (“Koizumi Theater”) and “Sotei nai (gai)” (“Within (or beyond) expectations”). “Moe~” made the top ten, with the Akihabara maid unit Kanzen Maid Sengen accepting the award. A fan-culture term expressing deep affection for anime and game characters became widely known through daytime television shows and general newspapers. The top ten also included “Blog” and “Bobby Magic,” which praised Chiba Lotte manager Bobby Valentine’s flexible player rotations. Jiyu Kokuminsha (in Japanese)

Efforts to examine enthusiastic fan spending from an economic perspective also gained momentum. Nomura Research Institute’s “Survey on the Otaku Market,” announced on October 6, covered 12 fields—including anime, comics, games, idols, and travel—and estimated the enthusiast population at 1.72 million in total and the market size at ¥411 billion. Although its scope differs from today’s “oshi-katsu market,” it stood out as a pioneering cross-industry study of people who invest time and money in what they love. News coverage of the survey at the time, INTERNET Watch (in Japanese)

In the next article, 2006, Japan cheered on the national baseball team’s title at the inaugural WBC and Shizuka Arakawa’s Olympic figure-skating gold medal in Turin, while the year ended with the launch of Niconico Douga, which layered viewer comments directly across videos.