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Paper short abstract

Using Yorushika as a case study, this paper examines how international fans contribute to the global circulation of Japanese music through translations, covers, and interpretations, acting as cultural mediators who reduce linguistic and cultural barriers and enable engagement with Japanese content.

Paper long abstract

This study contributes to cultural, fan, and Japanese popular music scholarship by examining the creative practices of the transnational fandom surrounding Yorushika, a Japanese pop-rock duo formed in 2017 whose members remain anonymous. With Japanese-only social media, high-context lyrics, and limited physical media distribution, Yorushika did not initially appear to target overseas audiences. Their music relies heavily on complex, multimodal storytelling that requires access to multiple media forms and high levels of Japanese language literacy, which would seem to limit engagement by non-Japanese fans. Nevertheless, the band has gained increasing international recognition since the COVID-19 pandemic.

This shift can be attributed to a combination of factors: Yorushika’s presence on streaming platforms that were widely used during this period, early collaborations with the anime industry, and, most significantly, the efforts of overseas fans. Fannish engagement, visible in discussions of narrative interpretations, accounts of personal experiences related to the music, and the exchange of recommendations, often provides the initial encouragement for new listeners to engage more deeply with Yorushika’s work. In this process, fan productions become the primary mediators of Japanese language and culture.

Drawing on qualitative research that includes an open-ended questionnaire and a series of in-depth interviews with self-selected members of Yorushika’s international fan community, the study examines how practices such as instrumental and vocal covers, lyric translations, and interpretive essays have facilitated the band’s global reach. Fan activities play a fundamental role in the growth of this border-crossing fandom in two key ways: by disseminating Yorushika-related content and by reducing the cultural distance between the artists’ work and non-Japanese audiences. The latter is particularly important, as understanding Yorushika’s complex storytelling requires specific linguistic and cultural knowledge.

The paper presents empirical data on how international fans discovered Yorushika, the factors that transformed casual listeners into fans, and the role of fan-produced content in shaping engagement. In doing so, the study highlights how fans act as cultural agents in the global circulation of Japanese popular music that is primarily intended for local audiences.