Shrugging off inflation, consumption linked to oshikatsu, or activities that support oshi, or favorite characters and celebrities, is growing in Japan, while boosting related stocks.

According to research company Intage, 35.1% of the 5,000 people surveyed said they support certain characters or celebrities, and this proportion was higher among younger respondents.

Rina Oshimo, a senior strategist at Okasan Securities, said that oshikatsu-linked consumption has increased as video streaming and social media have grown in popularity and people have spent more time at home amid the COVID-19 pandemic since 2020.