Crowds Flock to See Their “Ultimate Favorite” Is Not a Celebrity... The Takaichi Fandom “Sanakatsu” [Sunday Japan Culture]

Unprecedented 'prime minister fandom' in politically apathetic Japan
Pens, bags, food...everything becomes a point of fascination
Media warn, "Policy debate could be drowned out"

How far have you ever gone for someone you like? I also had several "oppas" who got me through my school days. I even remember going all the way to a TV station in my school uniform just to see them in person.

Japan, which held a House of Representatives election last Sunday, is still burning with post-election fever. This is because the Liberal Democratic Party led by Japan's Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae scored what can only be called a landslide victory. One factor behind this was the activity of the Takaichi fandom, whose members like Prime Minister Takaichi the way people like celebrities. Today, I would like to tell you about "Sanakatsu" (Sanae fandom activities), which has emerged as a new form of fandom activity in Japan.

Crowd gathered at a campaign rally where Takaichi Sanae, Japan's prime minister, campaigned to support a candidate in the House of Representatives election. Photo by Yonhap News

"Sanakatsu" is a word created by combining "Sanae," the name of Prime Minister Takaichi, with "Oshikatsu," which means fandom activities. In Korea, the word "deokjil" seems to be used in a similar sense. "Oshi" literally means "to push," and refers to the member you support the most, in other words, your "ultimate favorite." When you add "katsu," which means "activity," it refers to all activities carried out for your favorite. In short, it is "fandom activities for the Japanese prime minister."

In Japan, during election periods, the prime minister can personally go out on the campaign trail to support the ruling party. Whenever Prime Minister Takaichi went on-site, huge crowds gathered. What is striking is that they really cheer as if they were at a pop concert, making placards and more. They brought fans with stickers spelling out "Takaichi, stay strong" or "Sanae" to the campaign sites to cheer her on.

Hamano Industries' 'Delight Tote Bag' sparked a shortage after it became Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae's 'beloved bag'. TBS.

In fact, Sanakatsu has been observed ever since she took office as prime minister. The leather bag that Prime Minister Takaichi always carried after taking office triggered a shortage as people rushed to buy the same one. It is a model called the "Delight Tote Bag" made by Hamano Industries, a leather bag manufacturer headquartered in Nagano Prefecture. Made of genuine leather, with plenty of storage space and light in weight, it is known as the prime minister's beloved bag. It is said that if you order it now, you will have to wait as long as six months to receive it.

The ballpoint pen used by Prime Minister Takaichi is also popular. A red, blue, and black multi-click pen has become a trend. The Jetstream pen she brought to official events to take notes has apparently flown off the shelves as well. In particular, the pink case identical to the prime minister's has become so popular that stationery stores reportedly placed additional orders. The Jetstream public relations team was said to have struggled to cope with the sudden spike in attention. As more and more people started buying the same items as Takaichi, the term "Sanae mania" appeared in addition to "Sanakatsu."

The Jetstream pen used by Prime Minister Takaichi also became popular, with orders increasing nationwide. Nippon TV.

The food that the prime minister likes has also become a focus of attention. At a hotel in Nara Prefecture, Prime Minister Takaichi's hometown, a "Sanakatsu set meal" has been introduced, reinterpreting the dishes she likes. They even set the price exactly at 3700 yen (35,000 won). The numbers 3 and 7 are pronounced "san" and "nana" in Japanese, so they used this to match the price to "Sana," taken from Sanae's name. Prime Minister Takaichi has said that she likes meat dumplings, pollack roe rice, and croquettes. The hotel serves these in its own style. It is said that 70% of all meal reservation customers come specifically to eat the Sanakatsu set meal, showing how popular it is.

The meat dumplings in particular became a huge topic. Even at official events, dumplings came up in conversation, and this "dumpling talk" was reported in the media. During a policy study session that started at dawn, Finance Minister Katayama Satsuki asked Prime Minister Takaichi, "I received some dumplings. Would you like to take some?" to which the prime minister replied, "I already have so many meat dumplings that my freezer is full," and this exchange was reported in the press. The exposure of such an everyday conversation helped create a friendly image. Once this conversation became known, orders surged at "551 Horai," a meat dumpling franchise in the Kansai region. Because Prime Minister Takaichi is from Kansai and likes meat dumplings, people speculated that this must be one of her favorite places.

Sanakatsu set meal sold at the Royal Hotel in Nara Prefecture. Royal Hotel.

In Japan, which is known for its political apathy, such passionate fandom is almost unprecedented. It was rarely seen even under Shinzo Abe, the longest-serving prime minister in Japanese history. Japanese media have offered various analyses. Although hereditary constituencies are commonplace in Japan, Prime Minister Takaichi is not a "born-to-politics" figure. She was born into an ordinary family and did not inherit an electoral district. She also speaks in a Kansai regional dialect. In a country where male politicians are the mainstream, she has also claimed the title of Japan's first female prime minister. These fresh qualities, which set her apart from the traditional elite politician, were able to appeal to voters.

Prime Minister Takaichi is reviewing documents at the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held last year at the Gyeongju Hwabaek International Convention Center (HICO). Yonhap.

However, there are also strong voices of concern. Some question whether healthy policy debate can really take place in a situation overwhelmed by fandom. The day after the election, the Nikkei (Nihon Keizai Shimbun) ran a column titled "A fandom-driven election has put an end to postwar democracy," criticizing this phenomenon. The Mainichi Shimbun also quoted experts as saying, "No matter how much the media criticized Prime Minister Takaichi's remarks about the weak yen or the grounds for dissolving the House of Representatives, there was no impact because of her fandom. It is an absurd phenomenon."

Sanakatsu could become a turning point that changes Japan's long-standing climate of political indifference. But if unconditional cheering swallows up opportunities to scrutinize policy, voters will be voluntarily giving up both their right and their responsibility to keep power in check. This is exactly what the Japanese media are worried about. It is still unknown whether a prime minister's fan club will revive Japanese democracy or erode it. In the end, the answer lies not with the fans, but with the voters.