Idols, celebrities, and fans at the time of post-catastrophe

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article explores the ways in which activism was performed and negotiated by Japanese celebrities and idols after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Fukushima Nuclear Disaster that occurred in March 2011. Post-catastrophe, humanitarian works, particularly visits to the affected areas, by celebrities and idols such as AKB48 were widely reported by the mainstream media. At the same time, there had been a social tendency within Japanese showbusiness to keep celebrities silent from making public anti-nuclear claims. While most celebrities kept their ‘neutral’ stance, there were a few instances where celebrities expressed clear anti-nuclear messages. Comparing idols’ politically ‘safe’ humanitarian work with other cases of celebrity activism, my article aims to examine the ways in which the nature of idols impacts the form of their activism. Aligning with the notion of ‘celebrity citizenship,’ ‘affective intimacy’ shared among celebrities/idols and fans plays a crucial role in identifying celebrity/idol activism. I argue that idol activism in particular mirrored the existing characteristics of the relationship between idols and fans.