Japan: most popular female idol groups

A survey conducted in October 2022 showed that Nogizaka46 was the most popular female idol group in Japan, with 6.4 percent of the respondents stating that they liked Nogizaka46 the most among female idol groups. The group was followed in popularity by Momoiro Clover Z, Perfume, and NiziU.

Idols in Japan

Idols are an important part of Japanese pop culture. Entertainers that fall into this category are often not regarded as professionals, but rather project the image of an aspiring artist that is more approachable to fans and encourages people to support them. It is often the case that idols are recruited and trained by talent agencies while they are still young and inexperienced. This business model was pioneered by Johnny & Associates, a talent agency founded by Johnny Kitagawa in 1962 that has become known for producing many famous male idol groups. Japan’s idol culture developed from the 1960s onward and became more noticeable in the 1970s and 1980s. While the 1980s are usually regarded as the golden age of idols, the industry saw renewed interest and a severe competition in the 2010s.

Idols and the Japanese music market

Idols exert a significant influence on the Japanese music industry. There are many different types of idols, each catering to distinct audiences. Next to the size of the audience, differences can be made based on the genre of music or the type of image projected. Agencies that employ idols often have a strong interest in protecting their image for marketing purposes, which is usually enforced with strict contracts that forbid certain behaviors. Fans are not only encouraged to support their idols by visiting their concerts, but in some cases also by buying CDs which contain ballots for popularity contests or tickets for meet-and-greet events. Partly due to this circumstance, Japan’s music industry was able to sustain a large CD market for a longer time than its counterparts in other countries. The high profitability of CD sales also made Japanese music companies initially reluctant to embrace streaming services, which have become more popular since the mid-2010s.