The K-pop wave continues to have a significant impact around the world, including Japan. This has also led to a spread of several Kpop trends from fans in Korea to Japan through social media. One example is “torekadeco”, which has become very popular in the past year.
What is Torekadeco?
“Torekadeco” is the Japanese translation for “trading card decoration”, and it is a popular trend among Japanese K-pop fans. Trading cards (or TCs) are high-quality 55x85mm photos of K-pop idols that are a part of merchandise. They are also known as photo cards, pocas, or PCs. While photo cards and trading cards can have slight differences, the two terms are generally used interchangeably, notably in Japan.
In Kpop, the trading card culture began in 2010 with Girl’s Generation’s second studio album “Oh!”. Nowadays, at least one card is included as a freebie in K-pop albums. They are usually exclusive photos that haven’t been released anywhere else such as selfies and photoshoots, and the variety continues to increase.
The catch is that the cards are limited edition, and since they are shuffled randomly, fans will not know which member they got until they open the album. Therefore, many fans like to collect photo cards to trade and sell them outside concert venues or through online platforms to obtain rare cards of their favorite members.
BTS Jimin’s photo card from “You Never Walk Alone”
Why is Torekadeco Popular in Japan?
However, some may not know what to do with the cards, especially their favorites ones. This is where the torekadeco trend comes in handy.
In Japan, there is a recent phenomenon called “oshikatsu”, which translates to “bias activities”, meaning activities that support or cheer on a favorite person or character, also known as a “bias”. Some examples of these activities include buying goods, attending live events, and posting on social media. This phenomenon is not limited to K-pop idols, but also J-pop idols, actors, YouTubers, and even anime or game characters.
Many Japanese teen fans like to do torekadeco and post them on SNS as part of their oshikatsu. However, the freedom of creativity and the unlimited possibility with the customization in torekadeco is what became so trendy.
How to do Torekadeco
Here are easy steps to decorating your trading card (torekadeco)!
Ingredients
- Your trading card/photo card
- Transparent card sleeve (B8 size or anything large enough to fit your card)
- Stickers
- Masking tape (optional)
- Markers (optional)
- Tweezers (optional)
In Japan, these ingredients are typically sold at the dollar store or easily found online
Steps
1. Put the card into the transparent sleeve
2. Decorate with stickers to your own liking
3. Done!
What you do with them is up to you! You can share it on social media or keep it and decorate more cards in your collection!
Tips
- create an aesthetic with the decorations
- choose stickers that match the idol’s clothes and style in the photo card (monochrome, pastel, etc.)
Examples
Here are some examples by other fans:
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If you have a photo card, I recommend trying out this fun, budget-friendly activity! Perhaps you can trade your design with your friends and post them on social media as a part of your oshikatsu too!
Rona K.
Although she was born and raised in Tokyo for most of her life, she is bilingual in English and Japanese. She moved to Hong Kong for two years and experienced a variety of cultures. She is currently a university student, studying in Japan. With her international background and her interest in music and the arts, she is determined to spread the distinct K-Pop culture even further to the West through videos and articles.
東京生まれで4歳の頃に香港へ引っ越し、2年間アジアと欧米の文化が溶け合う文化を体験した。日英バイリンガルで、現在は日本の大学に通っている。元々美術や音楽に興味があり、インターナショナルな背景を生かしながら動画や記事で韓流ブームを西洋に紹介し続けたいと思っている。
