Naoshi Fujikura of Universal Music Japan on Japan’s Unique Superfan Culture & Global Ambitions: Billboard Global Power Players Interview
Categoria: Musica
Fujikura talked to Billboard JAPAN about Japan’s unique superfan culture and the challenges Japan faces in its overseas expansion.
Por Billboard | 30/06/2026
In 2026, Universal Music Japan’s president and CEO, Naoshi Fujikura, was chosen for inclusion in Billboard ‘s Global Power Players list for a sixth consecutive time, making this his seventh appearance. In this year’s interview, he talked to Billboard JAPAN about Japan’s unique superfan culture and the challenges Japan faces in its overseas expansion. Related Billboard’s 2026 Global Power Players Revealed The Superstar Brokers are Connecting Global Music Rights to Institutional Capital Jack White's Wife Olivia Jean Files for Divorce After 4 Years of Marriage In 2025, Mrs. GREEN APPLE did extremely well in the charts. They took first place on both the Hot 100 and the Artist 100 Billboard Japan annual charts, and 13th place in IFPI’s Global Artist Chart. Naoshi Fujikura: I think in 2025, Mrs. GREEN APPLE was really trying to share their music with all their fans in Japan, across generations . Thanks to those efforts, they took 13th place in a chart with global artists such as Taylor Swift or Lady Gaga, which I think is amazing. Japan has the world’s second largest music market, and I think this chart placement has helped share the strength and appeal of our market. Right now, Mrs. GREEN APPLE is mainly focused on their activities in Japan, but I’m really looking forward to seeing how their scope widens in the future. IFPI announced that in 2025 the global market grew 6.4% year on year, but Japan grew even more, at 8.9%. The number of people who pay for streaming is rising worldwide, which is one factor affecting global growth, but the recovery of the physical media market in Japan is also having a big global impact. Fujikura: When I became president, the world was shifting en masse to streaming. Despite that, I felt there was still a lot of potential in physical media, so my goal was to maintain a healthy balance between streaming and physical media. You can stream music anywhere, whether at home or in the car, and always discover new music. It’s an extremely convenient service. But CDs and records aren’t just about the music. The artist’s vision runs through the whole package, like the liner notes. It’s like a little slice of the artists themselves. Fans get to see that vision through their CD or record, and purchasing it helps support the artist. I think there are a lot of differences between Japan and other countries when it comes to this culture of connection between artists and fans, often referred to as “superfan” culture or, in Japanese, “oshikatsu” culture. How are they different? Fujikura: My impression of overseas superfans is that they listen to the same music on repeat and are passionate consumers, buying their favorite artists’ merchandise. Japanese “oshikatsu,” on the other hand, are more focused on the growth of their favorite artists. Together with other fans, they try to boost their favorite artists even further into the spotlight. Simply translating “superfan” as “oshikat