Idol culture remains a big part of Japanese pop culture. A high school in Nagano Prefecture is taking that a step further with its announcement that it’ll emulate a popular anime series with its new after-school program.

Auditions starting next year

Nagano Nihon University (Nichidai) High School in Nagano City made the announcement last month. According to the high school, it plans to start the after-school activity next year. The school is currently holding informational sessions for potential members and their parents, along with a sample dance lesson led by a professional instructor.

The auditions will be open to all girls who will be first-year high schoolers in the 2026-27 academic year (i.e., current middle school third-years). A student who isn’t currently accepted for enrollment at Nagano Nichidai may receive enrollment via recommendation if they’re accepted. Admissions are open to anyone regardless of experience or academic interest.

The program won’t be for slouches. Nichidai plans to treat the club as a full-fledged idol group, complete with professional lessons, original songs, live shows, and media broadcasts.

The announcement will make many people think of the popular anime franchise Love Live!, in which groups of after-school idols compete in a nationwide competition. While some colleges have run idol programs before, this appears to be the first high school to make the premise of the show a reality.

Idols remain a big business in Japan

The move is indicative of how large a presence idols remain on Japan’s pop culture scene. A report from Yano Research shows spending on idols – concerts, merchandise, etc. – growing steadily year after year. In 2024, the market for idols alone was 205 billion yen ($1.3B).

Japanese companies continue to seek creative ways to tap into this market. One bus company, for example, has designed a new “sleeper bus” so that fans can see their favorite idol at a major city venue without shelling out money for an expensive hotel room. One company that specializes in Buddhist death altars has even gotten into the game with an “oshidan” altar.

The explosion in popularity has led to the birth of an underground idol (地下アイドル; chika-aidoru) culture as well. Also known as “live idols,” these are smaller groups that focus on conducting live performances as opposed to cutting records or starring in media.

Both idol worlds are frequently the subject of drama and controversy. The idol industry has come under fire for not supporting its stars in the wake of sexual assault charges and for banning group members from forming romantic relationships.

Underground idols, meanwhile, sometimes end up in dire situations in their quest for fame and fortune. We wrote a couple of years back about one group that successfully sued its management company for harassing members about their weight.

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地方の高校が「アイドル部」創部 野球に並ぶ「強化クラブ」、学校公認で活動へ 都会に出なくても歌やダンスで活躍できる場を提供. Shinno Mainichi Shimbun Digital

【新プロジェクトが始動】学校公認アイドルのメンバーを募集します！Nagano Nichidai

推し活の市場規模は1兆円以上？ 物価高に負けない消費の詳細は 野村證券・岡崎康平. Nomura Wealth Style