Top in Japan 2021 Round-up

Looking at what’s trending in culture can be an insight to a market and where it’s going. We rounded up some of the top topics, entertainment and social media stars in Japan in 2021.

Top Buzzwords

Here are 5 of the top buzzwords in Japan, in no particular order.

• うっせぇわ / Usseewa

  • Title of a song by teen singer Ado that expresses anger towards society and certain norms.

• ジェンダー平等 / gender equality

  • This reflects the growing movement in Japan pushing for more gender equality.

• Z世代 / generation-Z

  • Taken from the US. There's an increasing focus on today's younger generation in Japan, born in the late 1990s to early 2000s.

• 人流 / People flow

  • Referencing the crowds at certain times and places during the Covid-19 pandemic.

• 黙食 / Silent eating

  • A term arising from prevention measures against Covid-19, requesting people to do things such as eating, silently.

Top Searches on Google

These are the top 10 searches on Google in Japan in 2021 based on increase in popularity.

1. Tokyo 2020 Olympics

2. Shohei Ohtani

3. Tokyo Revengers

4. Monster Hunter Rise

5. Jujutsu Kaisen

6. Uma Musume Pretty Derby

7. New Coronavirus vaccine

8. Nana Komatsu

9. Natsume Miku

10. Keigo Oyamada

Top YouTubers

Here are the top YouTubers in Japan based on subscriber growth in 2021.

1. Junya.じゅんや | +7.83M subs

2. ジャにのちゃんねる | +2.89M subs

3. The First Take | +2.35M subs

4. コムドット | +2.27M subs

5. Ayase / YOASOBI | +2.15M subs

6. Ado | +2.04M subs

7. 平成フラミンゴ | +1.70M subs

8. HikakinTV | +1.48M subs

9. Diana and Roma JPN | +1.46M subs

10. Kota Mino Channel | +1.26M subs

Top Instagrammers

Here are the top 10 Instagrammers in Japan in 2021 based on total follower count.

1. 渡辺直美 (Naomi Watanabe | 9.6M followers

2. YUTA 悠太 | 7.36M followers

3. 𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐀🇯🇵🇧🇩🇷🇺 | 7.21M followers

4. Tasty Japan | 7.07M followers

5. i_am_kiko (Kiko Mizuhara) | 6.3M followers

6. Nissan | 6.03M followers

7. Tomohisa Yamashita | 4.9M followers

8. 山﨑賢人 (Kento Yamazaki) | 4.73M followers

9. 森咲智美 Tomomi Morisaki| 4.69M followers

10. 佐々木希 (Nozomi Sasaki) | 4.46M followers

Top TikTokers

Here are the top 10 TikTokers in Japan based on total follower count.

1. Junya.じゅんや | 40.2M followers

2. バヤシ🥑Bayashi | 16.1M followers

3. 景井 ひな (Kagei Hina) | 10.4M followers

4. Panna | 10M followers

5. michaeljackton.official | 9.8Mfollowers

6. ISSEI/将来有名になる男 | 8M followers

7. ウエスP(Mr Uekusa/Wes-P) | 7.9M followers

8. Buzz Magician Shin シン | 7.8M followers

9. 内山さん(Uchiyamasan☀️) | 7.5M followers

10. ゆーり🍎🐥(21)yuri | 6.9M followers

Top on Netflix

Here are the top 10 movies on Netflix in 2021 based on views.

1. Nihontouitsu Series

2. Parasite

3. Masquerade Hotel

4. Red Notice

5. One Piece: Stampede

6. Stand by Me Doraemon 2

7. Tenet

8. A Family

9. Doraemon: Nobita’s Chronicle of the Moon Exploration

10. Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: Crash! Rakuga-Kingdom and Almost Four Heroes

Here are the top 10 shows on Netflix in 2021 based on views.

1. Tokyo Revengers

2. Jujutsu Kaisen

3. Crash Landing on You

4. Vincenzo

5. My Hero Academia

6. Squid Game

7. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

8. Nevertheless

9. The King’s Affection

10. Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha

Top Musical Artists on Spotify

Here are the top 10 artists in Japan in 2021 based on plays on Spotify.

1. BTS

2. YOASOBI

3. Official HIGE DANdism

4. HIRAIDAI

5. back number

6. TWICE

7. ARASHI

8. Yuuri

9. Kenshi Yonezu

10. Aimyon