Three Rabbits, One Idol Group, and a Hometown Guessing Game

What happened

Sakurazaka46—an idol group (a pop act whose members are individually marketed to fans)—aired a promotional episode of its own variety show (a Japanese TV format mixing talk, games, and comedy), "Soko Magattara, Sakurazaka?" , late on June 7, 2026 on TV Tokyo. The same episode streamed simultaneously on Lemino, a Japanese streaming service.

The episode followed three members who walked around Yanaka Ginza, a nostalgic Tokyo shopping street, dressed in rabbit costumes to promote the group's new song "Lonesome rabbit."

Why it is trending now

The episode aired just three days before the group's 15th double A-side single, "Lonesome rabbit / What's “KAZOKU”?" , goes on sale on June 10, 2026. The rabbit theme tied directly into the song title, and the timing turned a routine promo into a buzzy event.

The music video for "Lonesome rabbit" was released on May 20, 2026, with second-generation member Hikaru Morita as center (the lead, front-and-center performer). With both live TV viewers and Lemino streamers reacting at once, the show climbed into Japan's trending topics.

How fans reacted The hook was a guessing game:

which member was inside each of the three rabbit suits? The show's official account fanned the flames by noting that almost no one had guessed all three correctly. After the reveal—Hikaru Morita, Tsuki Yamashita, and Konomi Asai—fans flooded the timeline with "answer-key" posts and celebrated landing the show in the trends.

What to watch next:

The single "Lonesome rabbit / What's “KAZOKU”?" releases on June 10, 2026, so expect first-week sales chatter and more promo content. Watch whether the playful rabbit branding carries into release-week performances and fan events.