[[File:Cute.svg|thumb|right|250px|Logotip grupe [[Cute|°C-ute]].]]
{{nihongo|'''Idol''' ([[japanski jezik|jap.]]: アイドル ''|aidoru'', |od engleske riječi „idol“)}} u [[Japan|japanskoj]] pop kulturi je [[masovni mediji|medijska]] osoba (pjevač, glumac, model itd.), najčešće tinejdžer/ka, sa slatkom i nevinom slikom u medijima.<ref name="Amazon.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/Islands-Eight-Million-Smiles-Contemporary/dp/0674017730|title=Amazon.com: Editorial Review: Islands of Eight Million Smiles: Idol Performance and Symbolic Production in Contemporary Japan (Harvard East Asian Monographs)|publisher=Amazon.com, Inc.|accessdate=2014-04-13|language=engleski|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/68TMwzHen|archivedate=2012-06-17}}</ref><ref name="ruembjapan">{{cite web|url=http://www.ru.emb-japan.go.jp/ABOUT/CULTURE_ABOUT/pop.html|title=О Японии: Культура - Музыка - Популярная музыка|publisher=Veleposlanstvo Japana u Rusiji|accessdate=2014-04-13|language=ruski}}</ref><ref name="japantimes20110814">{{cite web|url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090825i1.html|title=Pop 'idol' phenomenon fades into dispersion|publisher=The Japan Times Online|accessdate=2014-04-13|language=engleski|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/60uzs5dix|archivedate=2011-08-14}}</ref><ref name="kinokopress.com" /> Idoli su zasebna kategorija japanskih umjetnika.
Termin je komercijaliziran od strane japanske agencije za talente. Idoli su namijenjeni da budu idealan objekt ljubavi vatrenih navijača.<ref name="ruembjapan" /><ref name="Amazon.com" /><ref name="japantimes20110814" /><ref name="kinokopress.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.kinokopress.com/inko/cyber.html|title=Ellis in Wonderland|publisher=kinokopress.com|language=engleski|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/68TMy9rFq|archivedate=2012-06-17|accessdate=2014-04-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/jn2/1135/m0u/|title=„Aidoru” u rječniku „Goo”|publisher=NTT Resonant Inc.|accessdate=2014-04-13|language=japanski}}</ref>
