Cream Nantara mini-skirt athletics
Illustration: WhyTrend

What happened

On the night of June 8, 2026 (23:45–24:15 JST), TV Asahi's late-night variety show (a Japanese TV format mixing talk, games, and comedy) Cream Nantara aired a recurring segment called Mini-Skirt Athletics 2026. In it, performers wear mini-skirts and attempt track-and-field events; if their underwear shows, they are instantly disqualified. Juri Tanaka, a member of the idol group (a pop act whose members are marketed individually to fans) SixTONES, returned to the segment after a three-year absence.

He was joined by Soya Igari of the junior group KEY TO LIT, making his first appearance, plus performer Mendy Sekiguchi. The opposing team featured host Shinya Ueda alongside comedians from the acts Mayurica and Takurou.

Why it is trending now

The trend was driven by the broadcast itself and the live reactions that followed. Tanaka has appeared in this gag multiple times, so fans know him as a fixture of it; doing it again after three years confirmed the running character. The fresh hook was Igari's debut, which pulled SixTONES fans and KEY TO LIT fans into the same conversation at once. A post-broadcast streaming announcement extended the buzz to viewers who missed the live airing.

How fans reacted

The mood on X was overwhelmingly playful and affectionate. The most-shared moment was Tanaka's self-deprecating exchange about being typecast: a co-host suggested he no longer needs to do this, and Tanaka quipped that he had spent three years preparing for it, only to be told he is the show's dedicated mini-skirt-athletics guy. Igari drew waves of praise for his look, with fans calling his appearance striking and cute, and enjoying the warm senior-junior banter between the two idols.

What to watch next:

The show announced that the segment continues next week as a second half with Igari appearing again, so the crossover attention between the two fan bases is likely to carry over. Catch-up streaming on TVer (Japan's free catch-up TV streaming service) should keep drawing viewers who missed the live broadcast.