Oshi Katsu! - Oshi Culture as Seen from the Enpaku Collection

Finished

In recent years, "oshi katsu," in which people support people and things they like, has become a hot topic. The word “oshi" refers to the object of one's support, and the act of supporting "oshi" in various ways is called oshi katsu. The love for oshi is expressed in various ways and has become one of the pillars that support people's daily lives.

Although "oshi katsu" is gaining momentum, the act of cheering for oshi has actually been practiced since ancient times. Noh plays in the Muromachi period in Japan and Shakespearean plays in England had a history of great development due to the existence of patrons, and Kabuki was supported by the ardent popularity of the common people and became the greatest entertainment of the Edo period.

From the past to the present, the support and encouragement of audiences have been extremely important to theater, film, and other forms of culture. It can be said that each genre has flourished and a superior culture has emerged because of the presence of supporters.

The Theatre Museum has a wide variety of materials related to the oshi katsu of the theater. This exhibition introduces these items and unravels the history of “oshi culture." To think about the oshi culture is to question the history of the audience. What kind of audiences existed in each era and genre, and how did they support their oshi? And how do people face oshi now? The purpose of this exhibition is to reveal the activities of individual spectators and their voices that are buried in the conventional history of theater and film, which focuses on the performers and producers.

Schedule

Apr 24 (Mon) 2023-Aug 6 (Sun) 2023