Top Japanese YouTube channel ranking: Who placed first in 2021?

Have you ever wondered what is popular among young people in Japan and what Japanese influencers people tend to watch? Are you curious about the current trending YouTube channels in Japan?

YouTube is a growing platform, and becoming a YouTuber or gaining a certain number of subscribers is, undoubtedly, not an easy task. In Japan, there is a considerable number of people watching YouTube.

To find out who was trending in 2021, Nox Limited did a survey from January 1st to November 15th, 2021. The survey, based on the data of the influencer marketing analysis tool Nox Influencer includes:

Major categories of 2021 YouTube videos that had a rapid growth

The survey narrowed down the five top categories representing around 81% of YouTube content. Out of this 81%, around 40% of survey respondents were focused on "Entertainment" (the top category), followed by "People & Blogs," "Gaming," "Music" and "Sports."

Ranking of YouTube channels trending in 2021

Below, you can see the summarized list of the top 20 YouTube Channels:

1. Tokai OnAir (東海オンエア tōkai on'ea)
2. Comdot (コムドット komu dotto)
3. Fischer's (フィッシャーズ fisshāzu)
4. Mochimaru's Diary (もちまる日記 mochimaru nikki)
5. Liberal Arts University President Ryo (両学長リベラルアーツ大学 ryō gakuchō riberaru ātsu daigaku)
6. 48 (48-フォーエイト fōeito)
7. SixTONES
8. THE FIRST TAKE
9. Johnny's Jr. channel (ジャニーズJr.チャンネル janīzu junia channeru)
10. SutoPuriChannel (すとぷりちゃんねる sutopuri channeru)
11. Hajime Syacho (hajime) (はじめしゃちょー hajime shachō)
12. Snow Man
13. Nichijō-gumi (日常組)
14. ヒカル Hikaru
15. RIZIN FIGHTING FEDERATION
16. Pmaru-sama (P丸様)
17. Toei special effects YouTube Official (東映特撮YouTube Official tōei tokusatsu yūchūbu ofisharu)
18. Monst (Monster Strike) official (モンスト（モンスターストライク）公式 Mon suto (monsutā sutoraiku) kōshiki)
19. JO1
20. Jinnai Tomonori no netajin (陣内智則のネタジン)

Channels with a high chance of having their videos trend

1. Taniyan Tanizaki Takahito (谷やん谷崎鷹人)
2. Tokai OnAir (東海オンエア tōkai on'ea)
3. CABHEY RIDE ON!!
4. Fujii Kaze
5. Seira せいら
6. my channel (my channel 【白石麻衣公式】 Shiraishi Mai kōshiki; translation: my channel [MaiS hiraishi official])
7. Bravo Ryo's Bonsabadu! Channel (ブラーボりょうのボンサバドゥ!チャンネル Burābo Ryō no bonsabadu! channeru)
8. Apex Legends
9. まあたその「ほぼメインチャンネル」(mā taso no `hobo mein channeru'; translation: Mā-taso's mostly main channel)
10. Cooking Reimu Channel (クッキング霊夢ちゃんねる kukkingu reimu channeru)
11. Official Hige Dandism (Official髭男dism)
12. Sashihara Channel (さしはらちゃんねる)
13. Snow Man
14. Naokiman 2nd Channel
15. ふくれな fukurena
16. 妖夢のみょんなお料理ちゃんねる (yōmu no myonna oryōri channeru； lit. translation: Yōmu’s odd cooking channel)
17. Maruyama Aya channel (丸山礼チャンネル)
18. かす Kasu
19. はじめまして松尾です (hajimemashite matsuo desu; lit. translation: Nice to meet you, I'm Matsuo)
20. Banka Radio (バンカラジオ banka rajio)

I am also an avid viewer of YouTube and enjoy watching Japanese YouTube channels or finding out the current trends in Japan.

I am watching around 50% of the Japanese YouTube channels above, and I am a fan of Pmaru-sama and fukurena’s videos, so I recommend giving them a try!

Both have different types of content but are super fun, and they can also become a practice for your Japanese!

Let us know in the comments if you have any Japanese favorite YouTube Channel or if you watch any of the channels above!