Danica Davidson
August 28, 2023 
A social media lifestyle app in Japan known as Gravity conducted a survey with women ages 20-39, asking them what they spend their money on for fun. There are plenty of necessities out there that paychecks go to—rent, groceries and bills, to name a few—but when a Japanese woman in this age range has leftover money from her paycheck, how does she indulge herself?
446 women were questioned, and the top 10 answers were released. Some are pretty generic for women—or men—in any number of countries. But the number one spot went to something entirely otaku.
Going down the list, 10th place went to brand-name cosmetics. Nine went to spa treatments for some relaxation. Eighth place went to food—expensive food, specifically, instead of the regular food a person might get.
Seventh place, of all things, went to musical instruments, especially instruments they played as kids. Sixth place was all about international travel, so the women could see other countries. Fifth place was buying designer brand items, like purses. Fourth place went to getting the woman’s car of choice.
Now we’re getting to the top choices. Third place went to beauty appliances and goods, while second place was all about domestic travel.
So what do Japanese women like to reward themselves with the most? Why, stuff related to their oshi! Oshi refers to a person’s favorite of something, and it often refers to their favorite idol singer, actor, anime or manga character. A woman even told the survey, “If you don’t have an oshi, you can’t work hard.” So a woman who wants to spend money related to her oshi might go to a concert with her favorite idol, or she might buy merchandise related to her favorite anime character. Do you spend money on your oshi?
Source: SoraNews24
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
