A junior idol (ジュニアアイドル, junia aidoru), also known as a chidol (チャイドル, chaidoru, shortening of the words "child idol") or low teen idol (ローティーンアイドル, rōtīn aidoru), is a type of entertainer who is 15 years of age and under, manufactured and marketed for image, attractiveness, and personality. It is a sub-category of the idol culture in Japanese pop entertainment. Junior idols are primarily gravure idols who are marketed through photo books and image DVDs, but some are also trained in singing and acting. Unlike other child models, idols are commercialized through merchandise and endorsements by talent agencies, while maintaining an emotional connection with a passionate consumer fan base.
Junior idols have been seen as controversial due to their age, marketing demographic, and involvement in gravure modeling. In Japan, junior idols stand on legally ambiguous ground. Since the revision of Japanese child pornography laws in 2004 and 2014, many distributors of junior idol content have closed or were removed from markets.
U15 Japanese Junior Idols
Junior idols consist of entertainers 15 years or under, marketed to have a parasocial relationship with fans who support them by buying merchandise. Junior idols are often marketed through solo DVDs or photo books.[7] The majority of junior idols belong to specialized talent agencies, some of which offer acting and voice training and are geared towards the production of television commercials, photobooks, and related materials. Though sources indicate revenue is relatively low for photographic models, a number of idols (and their parents) see this activity as a gateway to more mainstream media roles.[8] In 2011, junior idols were paid up to 200,000 per photos shoot.[9]
The trend of junior idols dates back to the mid-1990s, a period marked by significant increase in the number of child models and works involving individuals in that age range.[10] The term chidol, a neologism of the words "child" and "idol", was coined by columnist Akio Nakamori to describe this new phenomena.[10] Eventually, this term fell out of use and was replaced by "Junior Idol".[10] Compared to chidol, the term "junior idol" plays down the association with age and lends some credibility to the industry associating it with the legitimate mainstream idol culture in Japan.[10]
Content is available in many formats, usually physical goods such as bond photobooks, CDs and DVDs, but also digital content in the form of Portable Document Format books, JPEG photo sets, high resolution movie clips, etc. To promote a particular idol, or to celebrate the release of a specific title, certain stores hold special events where fans get to meet the idols, shake hands with them, obtain autographs or take photographs, either polaroids or pictures taken with the customers' own cameras, in accordance with the amount of money spent on related goods (either regular DVDs, photobooks, etc., or multiple copies of the same title).
Concerning the contents of the titles put on sale, these include, in general terms, pictures or footage of the idols trying out a variety of outfits, such as school uniforms, bathing suits, gym clothes, yukata or even maid, police and anime-inspired costumes.
The junior idol industry is a highly contentious one in Japan. Many Japanese, including some politicians, criticise such depictions of underage girls.[10] Despite such disapproval, stores selling junior idol-related materials proliferate in prominent areas, such as Oimoya, a store located in Japan's well-known Akihabara shopping district.[10]
Internationally, the junior idol trend has been harshly criticised. In 2008, the United Nations Children's Fund launched a Say 'NO' to Child Pornography campaign in Japan.[11] As part of the campaign, four major internet portal site providers in Japan removed junior idol-related content from their services.[11] The campaign also garnered over 100,000 signatures in a petition to the Japanese government to amend its child pornography laws to criminalize possession of child pornography, including junior idol materials.[11]
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