But economy was a knife. The entertainment industry— geinōkai —had a gentle, smiling surface over iron rules. Contracts had clauses about dating, weight, and “public dignity.” The fanbase, mostly middle-aged men called oshi-men , demanded purity as if she were a miko (shrine maiden) selling charms instead of a woman singing about heartbreak. The pressure was a low, constant hum, like the 50-hertz electricity that powered the neon Tokyo skyline.