信者 (shinja) Meaning ‘Fanatic Fans’ in Japanese Slang

Definition

Generally, 信者 (Shinja) means “a believer or devotee of a religion”, as in “キリスト教きょう信者しんじゃ (a believer in Christianity)”. However, it is also used as a slang word that means “a fanatic fan” with a negative connotation. For example, “Apple shinja” indicates fanatic fans of Apple, who always form an endless queue yearning for new Apple products. Similarly, you can say “Abe Shinja” to describe fanatic supporters of previous Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe.

Antonym: アンチ (Anchi)

アンチ (anchi) is an antonym of shinja and means “hater“. It is a loanword from “anti” in English, and indicates someone who intensely hates something. For example, “anchi Abe” or “Abe anchi” describes people who are very critical of Shinzo Abe. Famous and rich people usually have both shinja (fanatic fans) and anchi (haters). 

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