How does it work in Japan?

Becoming an idol (or several versions of an idol in form of a model, talent, AV idol, movie actress, singer, race queen, etc.) in Japan has less to do with real talent but more to do with how marketable the person is.  The companies active in using idols/talents to market products will take care of the rest.  Once an individual is identified as a potential idol material and experiences some initial success, hundreds of people who work behind the screens will take care of everything else that a typical creative person is expected to.  For instance, someone will compose the lyrics and music and all you are expected to do is to sing it.  Is the song really a classic?  It doesn't matter since it is possible to coordinate how many times that song is played and how the CD is marketed.

We analyzed how some of the idols have been made.  Kazumi Murata, Mamiko Mise, Miho Kiuchi, Seiko Matsuda, Kyoko Fukada, Namie Amuro, Senna Matsuda, Gackt, Kaori Ohara, SMAP, Kinki Kids, and many others idols show some common features:

• Singing skills, at least for a karaoke party

• Dancing skills sufficient to move the body with the music

• Good looks that make the individual different in some ways in a country that is so homogeneous

However, it is interesting to note that some idols became idols simply based on one attribute - Namie Amuro looked ordinary in a country where everybody wants to look beautiful, Kyoko Fukada is just too cute, Kaori Ohara and Senna Matsuda have large tops, and the SMAP members have an un-Japanese attitude.  The same can be said for the limited success that non-Japanese have had in becoming 'idols' in Japan.  If you are an attractive Caucasian, you are hired regardless of your talents.

Kano Sisters

While a lot of people outside of Japan are still not aware of these two women who claim to be sisters - Kyoko and Mika, they are the hottest idols in Japan at this time.  These women call themselves as lifestyle consultants but are better known for their looks, especially their attractive bodies.  Kyoko's size is 96 cm (38 inches) while Mika is slightly bigger at 98 cm (39 inches) and both of them have no embarrassment in showing it all off.  In fact they have released a coffee table book by a simple title "Fabulous Body" that reportedly shows it all.  The question that is very commonly asked by aspiring foreign models in Japan, "Is it possible to become a star just based on size?" can be answered by the success of Kano Sisters.  These two ladies have no hesitation in taking their clothes off for the sake of publicity so that they can then stand up in front of hundreds of women who pay up to $250 to listen to their advice to how to sleep well.

The two sisters also maintain some degree of enigma about their origins and their lives so that the media has plenty to speculate about them.  Surprisingly, despite the popularity of such female idols mostly among middle-aged Japanese salarymen, Kano Sisters are more popular among fashionable Japanese women.

While we continue to believe that being an idol in Japan is a combination of a nice body, some basic skills, and lots of luck, the success of Kano Sisters has been rather unusual in the sense that they have managed their own success and no one has brought them to their pinnacle by clever marketing.  Does it change the rules of the game to become an idol in Japan?  Is there a trend that can be seen?  Probably not.  Now enjoy the video clip of a Japanese idol.