Past Japan trends

Featured from the archive

3 featured articles

Sakayori Soma Steps Out in 3D for the First Time

Nijisanji VTuber Sakayori Soma unveiled his 3D model on June 12, the third stream in the five-member Speciale relay, and fans flooded X...

Entertainment Jun 12, 13:07 UTC

Two Kansai Idol Groups Share One Live TV Stage

Naniwa Danshi and A!e group covered classic J-pop hits live on Music Station the same night...

Entertainment Jun 12, 11:10 UTC

A Japanese music show packs idols, J-pop and a viral karaoke gag into one night

A 2-hour TBS music-variety special drew live-tweeting crowds with idol guests, an actor's...

Fri, Jun 12, 2026

Archived Japan trend explainers

60 articles

Sakayori Soma Steps Out in 3D for the First Time Nijisanji VTuber Sakayori Soma unveiled his 3D model on June 12, the third stream in the five-member Speciale relay, and fans flooded X with tears and praise. Jun 12, 13:35 UTC Entertainment

Two Kansai Idol Groups Share One Live TV Stage Naniwa Danshi and A!e group covered classic J-pop hits live on Music Station the same night A!e group's first lead film hit theaters. Jun 12, 13:07 UTC Entertainment

A Japanese music show packs idols, J-pop and a viral karaoke gag into one night A 2-hour TBS music-variety special drew live-tweeting crowds with idol guests, an actor's debut song, and a member who sings well but cannot hit high notes. Jun 12, 11:10 UTC Entertainment

Number_i Fans Hit With a Double Ticket Lottery in One Day Rock in Japan 2026's second ticket lottery dropped at 4pm on June 12, and Number_i fans were also waiting on their first fan-meeting results the same day. Jun 12, 09:06 UTC Entertainment

Monster Strike Finally Crosses Over With NARUTO Japan's hit mobile game Monster Strike kicks off its first NARUTO Shippuden collab, and a long-running 'Ramen Incident' fan theory just paid off. Jun 12, 02:06 UTC Tech

Japan's Captain Retires Days Before His World Cup Opener Captain Wataru Endo exits Japan's World Cup squad with a foot injury and announces his international retirement just three days before the opener vs the Netherlands. Jun 11, 19:06 UTC Sports

Snow Man's 'As We Are' Radio Brings the Abe-Fukazawa Duo Two longtime Snow Man members hosted the group's weekly radio show, and fans live-tweeted everything from frizzy-hair talk to a 10-minute delay caused by baseball. Jun 11, 13:14 UTC Entertainment

A hololive VTuber finally lands her dream solo show Takane Lui revealed her first-ever solo concert during her birthday stream, a goal she had chased for years — and Japanese fans flooded X with celebration. Jun 11, 13:10 UTC Entertainment

=LOVE's Double B-Side Medley Sparks a Live-TV Frenzy Idol group =LOVE gave the TV debut of 'Moratorium' while Sakurazaka46 performed their day-old single on Fuji TV's prime-time music show 'STAR.' Jun 11, 11:07 UTC Entertainment

The Boxer Who Gave the World the 'Guts Pose' Guts Ishimatsu, the 1974 WBC lightweight champion turned TV personality, has died at 76 — and his agency signed off with his catchphrase 'OK Makiba!' Jun 11, 08:11 UTC Entertainment

Naruto Finally Lands in Monster Strike Mobile mega-hit Monster Strike teams up with Naruto Shippuden for the first time, adding Naruto, Kakashi, Jiraiya, and the Akatsuki from June 12. Jun 11, 08:07 UTC Entertainment

An idol radio character is becoming a real drama Comedian Ryo Nishibori hit two late-night Nippon Broadcasting shows in one night, and Nogizaka46's beloved radio character is now a streaming drama. Jun 10, 19:09 UTC Entertainment

Touhou Gets Its First-Ever Remake at Nintendo Direct ZUN's bullet-hell classic Embodiment of Scarlet Devil gets a full remake, while Zelda: Ocarina of Time returns for Switch 2 — both revealed in one show. Jun 9, 20:07 UTC Tech

Blue Lock Goes Fully Free for One Day Only Japan's '6/9 Blue Lock Day' unlocked all 38 volumes free for 24 hours, kicking off a week-long soccer-manga campaign as the franchise hits 60 million copies. Jun 9, 19:05 UTC Entertainment

Zelda's Ocarina of Time Gets a Full Switch 2 Remake Nintendo closed its June 9 Direct by confirming a full remake of the 1998 classic Ocarina of Time for Switch 2, arriving in 2026. Jun 9, 15:13 UTC Tech

Rhythm Heaven's First New Game in a Decade Lands July 2 Nintendo confirmed a July 2, 2026 launch for the first all-new Rhythm Heaven game in over a decade, with 80+ fresh minigames, 4-player co-op, and an RPG mode. Jun 9, 14:35 UTC Tech

FGO Drops a Puzzling 'Summer Preview' Label on a Rerun Fate/Grand Order added a never-before-seen 'Summer Preview Edition' tag to a returning event, and players think it teases this year's swimsuit event. Jun 9, 10:07 UTC Entertainment

Blue Lock Drops Season 3 Title on Its 'Once-in-a-Century' Day Blue Lock claimed June 9 as a 'once-in-a-century' anniversary, unveiling its Season 3 title 'Neo Egoist League,' a teaser visual, and a 24-hour free manga read — all at midnight. Jun 9, 00:06 UTC Entertainment

Idol gag segment pulls two fandoms together A late-night Japanese variety segment put SixTONES' Juri Tanaka back in a mini-skirt after three years, with rookie Soya Igari joining for the first time. Jun 8, 15:39 UTC Entertainment

SixTONES Unveils Two New Songs on Live TV A three-hour music special on Japan's CDTV Live! Live! stacked multiple TV-premiere performances in one night, sending fan communities into a coordinated posting frenzy. Jun 8, 15:16 UTC Entertainment

Nintendo's Surprise June Direct Lands Tomorrow Nintendo's first general Direct in roughly five months drops on June 9 — a 50-minute Switch 2 software showcase that has fans theorizing about Smash, Zelda, and more. Jun 8, 14:09 UTC Tech

SixTONES Get Their Wish: Black Suits on Their 6th Anniversary On their exact 6th debut anniversary, SixTONES performed on Japan's CDTV Live Live in the black suits fans had begged for — and the fandom melted down in real time. Jun 8, 13:11 UTC Entertainment

J-Pop's Biggest Names Pack One Live Music Night A 3-hour live edition of Japan's top music show brought TV-first songs from Naniwa Danshi, Sakurazaka46 and andTEAM, lighting up several fandoms at once. Jun 8, 11:15 UTC Entertainment

Three Rabbits, One Idol Group, and a Hometown Guessing Game Sakurazaka46 members roamed a Tokyo shopping street in rabbit suits, and fans turned guessing who was inside into a viral late-night quiz before the group's new single drops. Jun 7, 18:15 UTC Entertainment

Miku Ichinose Finally Gets Her Center Spot After once apologizing for 'not being able to stand as center,' Nogizaka46's 5th-gen member Miku Ichinose was named center of the group's 42nd single. Jun 7, 17:37 UTC Entertainment

Hinatazaka46 Reshuffles Its 'Factions' on Late-Night TV A packed episode of Hinatazaka46's variety show ran a 'faction re-election,' debuted a new 5th-gen song, and turned member Nao Kosaka into a fan-favorite faction leader. Jun 7, 17:10 UTC Entertainment

Nogizaka46's Sumo Showdown and a Lineup Reveal in One Night Nogizaka46's variety show aired its yearly 'Sumo Grudge Match,' a 6th-gen rookie debuted in the ring, and fans waited for a new single's lineup reveal. Jun 7, 16:09 UTC Entertainment

Kento Kaku Brings Chaos to SixTONES' Variety Show Actor Kento Kaku guested on idol group SixTONES' variety show, revealing he texts member Jesse before tapings — and then derailed the games with show-off antics. Jun 7, 13:07 UTC Entertainment

Gakuen Idolmaster's Big Anniversary Concert Hits Its Final Day All 13 voice actors take the Yokohama Arena stage for the closing night of Gakuen Idolmaster's 2nd Period live, with a global stream on ASOBI STAGE. Jun 7, 08:10 UTC Entertainment

A Disguise-Loving Villain Turns a Train Into an Escape Room Detective Precure!'s comic-relief villain Goemon turned a school-trip train into a 30-minute puzzle ride, and Japanese fans loved every disguise. Jun 7, 00:07 UTC Entertainment

Snow Man Idol's Android Love Story Reaches Its Goodbye Ryota Miyatake's first lead drama 'Tamikoi' ended June 6 with the android Eita's bittersweet return — and a surprise Blu-ray reveal that kept fans buzzing. Jun 6, 16:13 UTC Entertainment

Snow Man's Android Romance Drama Says Goodbye The sci-fi rom-com 'Tamikoi,' starring Snow Man's Ryota Miyadate as a lovestruck android, aired its finale — and fans flooded X to mourn the farewell. Jun 6, 14:37 UTC Entertainment

Four J-Pop Acts Share One Live NHK Stage M!LK, Sakurazaka46, Kitani Tatsuya and Fumino performed live on NHK's Venue101, and a fan-hashtag push pulled several fandoms onto the trend list at once. Jun 6, 14:33 UTC Entertainment

SixTONES Throw a 66-Minute YouTube Party for Their 6th Anniversary On June 6 — celebrated by fans as 'SixTONES Love Day' and the group's 6th debut anniversary — the J-pop act streamed a free 66-minute listening party of past hits on YouTube. Jun 6, 14:07 UTC Entertainment

A Precure Monster Just Walked Into Detective Conan A goofy Precure villain monster called Hannindar showed up in a Detective Conan episode, and fans of both franchises lost it over how the two shows synced up. Jun 6, 09:38 UTC Entertainment

Gakumas Throws a 2nd-Anniversary Concert in Yokohama The hit idol-raising game Gakuen Idolmaster celebrates two years with a two-day Yokohama Arena concert, and Day 1 just opened with cast members flooding social media. Jun 6, 08:13 UTC Entertainment

Tifa Lockhart Crosses Over Into Street Fighter 6 Final Fantasy VII's Tifa Lockhart is joining Street Fighter 6 as a guest fighter — her first fighting-game appearance in 27 years, revealed alongside the FF7 Remake finale. Jun 5, 23:06 UTC Tech

Hololive's Minecraft Money Game Hits Its Finale Hololive's biggest annual Minecraft economy event just finished a chaotic 5-day run — watermelon-farming drama, an alchemist crew, and a June 6 awards stream are keeping fans hooked. Jun 5, 17:09 UTC Entertainment

Nagisa Trout Unveils His 3D Model NIJISANJI VTuber Nagisa Trout celebrated his 3D debut live on June 5, the second leg of the Speciale unit relay, after returning from hiatus in 2025. Jun 5, 13:08 UTC Entertainment

Snow Man Sneaks Into Google Japan on Their Variety Show Tonight Two Snow Man members enter Google Japan's off-limits zone while two others run the 'Underage Declaration' school segment — and Google's official account joined the hype. Jun 5, 11:08 UTC Entertainment

Monster Strike Players Hunt the Zodiac Queen Together A new co-op lottery in Japan's Monster Strike lets up to four players team up to win one of nine characters — and everyone is chasing the same prize. Jun 4, 17:10 UTC Tech

Hololive VTubers Grind for Gold in Minecraft, Day 4 Hololive talents spent five hours competing in a custom Minecraft money-grinding event, with extra time added to make up for a broken Day 3. Jun 4, 17:06 UTC Entertainment

A Hinatazaka46 Radio Show Gets Its First-Ever Guest Shogenji Yoko's late-night radio program welcomed fellow Hinatazaka46 member Onoe Manami as its first guest, and fans flooded X with live reactions. Jun 4, 16:13 UTC Entertainment

Snow Man's radio duo takes over Special Week Iwamoto and Abe of Snow Man hosted a special-week radio broadcast that started two hours late after a baseball game ran long — and fans live-tweeted every second. Jun 4, 12:36 UTC Entertainment

Naniwa Danshi's White-Tux Night on 'STAR' The J-pop idol group performed 'Diamond Smile' and new track 'Celebrate' on Fuji TV, sending their hashtag to No. 1 on Japan's X trends. Jun 4, 11:12 UTC Entertainment

FGO Drops Fes 2026 Art and a New 5-Star Archer Fate/Grand Order's June 3 broadcast revealed Fes 2026 Servant art, a new 5-star Archer, and the upcoming 'Past Caldea' main story chapter. Jun 3, 12:10 UTC Tech

FGO's Mystery Archer Has Players Guessing Her Identity Fate/Grand Order launched a major new story chapter and a rare 'true name hidden' SSR Servant, sending fans into a wave of identity speculation. Jun 3, 11:08 UTC Tech

Rock in Japan 2026 reveals its 5-day lineup Japan's biggest rock festival just named 33+ acts across rock, idol, and hip-hop — including SiM's first-ever appearance and a Number_i comeback set. Jun 3, 04:06 UTC Entertainment

Genshin x KFC Pre-Orders Spark a 'Which Store?' Pile-Up A late-night Genshin Impact x KFC pre-order, plus several anime and idol store campaigns landing the same day, pushed the Japanese phrase for 'eligible stores' to the top of X. Jun 2, 19:10 UTC Entertainment

Gakuen Idolmaster's Temari Tsukimura Turns the Spotlight On June 3 Fans of the mobile idol game flooded Japanese X with birthday wishes as an official YouTube stream and limited merch launched at midnight. Jun 2, 16:10 UTC Entertainment

VTubers Turn App Downtime Into a Follow Swap When the REALITY streaming app went offline for two hours of maintenance, its avatar streamers flooded X with self-intros to swap follows. Jun 2, 06:06 UTC Entertainment

Kahorin's First Photo Book Lands Aug 4 Hinatazaka46's Fujishima Kaho is releasing her debut solo photo book, the first ever from her group's fourth generation, shot in Miami and Hokkaido. Jun 2, 04:07 UTC Entertainment

GEMN Reunites for an Emotional Radio Duet Anime-tied duo GEMN sang a surprise cover on Kitani Tatsuya's late-night radio show during its farewell week, and Japanese fans flooded the trends. Jun 1, 20:06 UTC Entertainment

SixTONES Finally Brings 'Flower Cloud' to National TV A rarely performed SixTONES love song lands its first national TV debut as part of the group's 6th-anniversary 'Monthly Live!' on CDTV, and fans are thrilled. Jun 1, 13:16 UTC Entertainment

Mrs. GREEN APPLE Welcomes Veteran Comedians on Their TBS Variety Show The J-pop band's Monday-night variety show drew a wave of fan posts as guest comedians joined and the trio performed 'Inferno' live. Jun 1, 13:12 UTC Entertainment

A Slime Made of Ice Cream Joins Dragon Quest's 40th Baskin-Robbins Japan turned its Popping Shower flavor into a Dragon Quest Slime keychain, and fans are racing to stores for a giveaway and a new popping-candy flavor. Jun 1, 00:14 UTC Food

Granblue Fantasy Adds Limited Mikaboshi in Her Full-Power Form A new fire-element SSR, Limited Mikaboshi, lands in Granblue Fantasy's double-rate Legend Fest gacha, and players are already pulling. May 31, 04:06 UTC Tech

Conan Drops Into a Magical-Girl Mystery Detective Conan guest-starred in a Sunday-morning Precure episode, complete with a sleeping-gas gag and a joint dance number—and Cure Answer returns the favor on June 6. May 31, 00:10 UTC Entertainment

hololive's Nepolabo and holoX Team Up for First Joint Live Ticket lottery results for hololive's first Nepolabo x holoX joint event landed May 30, and fans are flooding X with wins for VIP, SS and S seats. May 30, 04:08 UTC Entertainment

Travis Japan Goes Behind the Scenes at UNIQLO HQ J-pop idols Ryuya Shimekake and Kaito Matsukura visit UNIQLO's Ariake headquarters on a Japanese morning show, learning how its global products are made. May 30, 00:08 UTC Entertainment

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