A J-POP Glossary: From "Oshi" to the Charts

J-pop comes with a vocabulary all its own — not just about the music, but about fandom, live shows, and the industry. Here are the terms most useful for newcomers and overseas fans, with readings, meanings, and the situations where you will hear them.

Fandom & "Oshikatsu"

• Oshi (推し) — Your favorite member or artist, the one you actively support. From the verb "osu," to push or back someone.
• Oshikatsu (推し活) — All the activities of supporting your oshi: going to shows, buying goods, spreading the word on social media.
• Tantou / Oshi-men (担当・推しメン) — The specific member you support within a group.
• Doutan (同担) — Fans who support the same member. Those who prefer distance from them say "doutan kyohi."
• Tan-oshi / Hako-oshi (単推し・箱推し) — Supporting one specific member only / supporting the whole group.
• Oshi-hen (推し変) — When the member you support most changes to someone else.
• Gachi-koi (ガチ恋) — Having genuine romantic feelings for your oshi; also called "riako."
• Ninchi (認知) — Getting the artist themselves to recognize and remember you.
• Kyokyu (供給) — New content about your oshi — appearances, news, goods; hence "too much / too little supply."
• Kaishaku icchi (解釈一致) — The joy of someone reading a work or member dynamic the same way you do.
• Emoi (エモい) — Deeply moving; that emotional, heart-tugging feeling.
• Zentsu (全通) — Attending every single show on a tour.
• Kami-taiou / Shio-taiou (神対応・塩対応) — A "god-tier" warm response to fans vs. a cold, "salty" one.
• Numa (沼) — Literally a swamp: falling so deep into a fandom you cannot climb out.
• Toutoi (尊い) — "Precious / sublime"; an expression for something so wonderful you can barely put it into words.
• DD (誰でも大好き) — "Love everyone": a fan who does not fix on a single oshi.
• Sotsugyo (卒業) — "Graduation": a member leaving a group, usually framed positively.

Live shows & venues

• Genba (現場) — The venue or event itself, or the act of going there.
• Ensei (遠征) — Traveling out of town for a show.
• Sansen (参戦) — Going to a live show (literally "joining the battle").
• Buppan (物販) — The merch booth at a venue. Staples include "goods," "penlights," and "uchiwa" (fan paddles).
• Penra (ペンラ) — Short for penlight; colors map to each member via "tantou color."
• Koedashi (声出し) — Calling out and cheering from the crowd; chants and call-and-response.
• Setlist (セトリ) — The order of songs played at a show.
• Encore (アンコール) — The extra set after the main show; if it continues, a "double encore."
• MC — The talk segments between songs during a live show.
• Kami-seki / Tenjou (神席・天井) — A great seat with a clear view / the very back or top-tier seats.
• Enban (円盤) — Literally "disc": a Blu-ray/DVD of a live show or MVs.
• Cheki — An instant photo taken on the spot, popular as a fan perk.

Industry terms

• Tie-up — A song linked to a drama, commercial, anime, or film — a major gateway to a hit in Japan.
• Shudaika / Souneuka (主題歌・挿入歌) — A work's main theme song / an insert song played within it. In anime, also "OP" (opening) and "ED" (ending).
• Jimusho / Label (事務所・レーベル) — An artist's management company / the record company that releases the music.
• Major / Indies (メジャー・インディーズ) — Signed to a major label / on an independent or self-run label.
• Haishin (配信) — A digital release via streaming or download. "Subsuku" means subscription streaming.
• Physical (フィジカル) — Physical media such as CDs and vinyl; the counterpart to "digital / streaming."
• Senko haishin (先行配信) — Releasing some tracks digitally ahead of the full launch.
• Lead track / Title track (リードトラック・表題曲) — An album's flagship song / a single's headline song.
• Shokai gentei-ban / Tokuten (初回限定盤・特典) — A first-press limited edition / a bonus for buyers.
• Rear-ibe (リリイベ) — A release event: a mini-live, handshake event, and the like to mark a launch.
• A-sha (アー写) — An artist's promotional photo.
• MV (Music Video) — A song's video work; also called "PV."
• Gakkyoku teikyo (楽曲提供) — When one artist writes a song specifically for another.
• Co-write (コライト) — Songwriting by multiple writers together.
• Cover (カバー) — Performing another artist's song.
• Ryo-A-men (両A面) — A double A-side single, with two songs sharing top billing.

Genres & scenes

• Kayokyoku (歌謡曲) — Japanese popular song centered on the Showa era; one root of modern J-pop.
• Enka (演歌) — A distinctly Japanese, emotive vocal genre.
• City pop (シティポップ) — Urban pop of the 1970s–80s, widely rediscovered abroad in recent years.
• Vocaloid (ボカロ) — A music culture built on singing-synthesizer software; creators are called "Vocaloid-P."
• Utaite (歌い手) — Online singers who post their own vocal covers; close to Vocaloid culture.
• Anison (アニソン) — Anime songs — a huge entry point for overseas listeners.
• Idol (アイドル) — Performers built around singing, dancing, and approachability; small-venue "underground idols" included.
• Visual kei (V系) — A rock scene that emphasizes striking visual presentation.
• Ho-rock (邦ロック) — The Japanese rock-band scene.
• Singer-songwriter (SSW) — An artist who writes and performs their own material.
• Hip-hop / Rap (ヒップホップ・ラップ) — Music built on rhymed, spoken delivery; a fast-growing scene in Japan.
• Fes (フェス) — A large music festival featuring many artists.

Production & song terms

• Sabi (サビ) — The song's peak, central hook; the build runs "A-melo / B-melo / sabi."
• Intro / Outro (イントロ・アウトロ) — A song's opening / closing section.
• Ochi-sabi (落ちサビ) — A quieter, stripped-back chorus with lower volume or fewer instruments.
• Tencho (転調) — A key change partway through a song.
• Arrangement (編曲・アレンジ) — Building the instrumentation and sound; the role is "arranger."
• Uchikomi (打ち込み) — Electronic performance programmed via gear or software.
• Fake (フェイク) — Improvised, melody-bending vocal runs.
• Remix — A reworked, alternate version of an original track.

Internet & social media culture

• Bazuru (バズる) — To go viral and rapidly become a talking point on social media.
• Viral (バイラル) — Word-of-mouth spread; an important driver for overseas charts too.
• Kirinuki (切り抜き) — Short clips cut from a longer stream or video.
• Kosatsu (考察) — Digging into the hidden meaning of lyrics or an MV.
• Nobiru (伸びる) — When views or engagement grow sharply.
• Tate-doga (縦動画) — Vertical-format video made for short-form platforms.
• Koshiki (公式) — Official info or accounts run by the artist or their team.

Chart terms

For what OSHIRABE's own charts mean (REAL HITS, WAVE, COMEBACK, NEXT, ARTIST 100) and why "karaoke" works as a signal of a hit, see how the charts work and the methodology.

We will keep growing this glossary as more terms come up.