The Japanese work ethic extends to stars. Actors and idols often maintain weekly TV shows, radio shows, magazine serializations, concert tours, and commercials simultaneously. It is common for top stars to sleep 3 hours a night. This leads to frequent "health hiatuses" (Kyoyo).
Major agencies like Amuse, Horipro, and Oscar Promotion control access. To get a commercial deal, advertisers must go through the agency. To get an interview, magazines must submit questions for pre-approval. This protects the star's image but stifles journalistic freedom. The recent Johnny’s scandal was ignored by Japanese media for decades because every major network relied on Johnny’s talents to fill their time slots. Part VII: The Future – Digital Disruption and Global Soft Power Japanese entertainment is currently at a crossroads. For years, the industry fought against digital distribution (Toho, the giant film studio, famously refused to put its films on Netflix for years). However, COVID-19 and the success of Netflix's Alice in Borderland and First Love have changed the game. The Japanese work ethic extends to stars
At the heart of Japanese performance lies the concept of Kata —prescribed, highly stylized forms. A Kabuki actor doesn't improvise sadness; he performs the specific pose (mie) for sadness. This obsession with precise execution filtered down into every subsequent art form. You see it in the rigid bowing of a pop star on a variety show, the frame-perfect editing of an anime fight scene, and the synchronized precision of a 48-member idol group. In Japanese entertainment, the how is often as important as the what . This leads to frequent "health hiatuses" (Kyoyo)