The #TopTen hashtags in #Japan for #2021 so far are #revealed!

Forgive me for showing my age here, but the hashtag symbol was not always known as such — back in my day, we called it the pound sign and it was normally known as “that useless button on the bottom of your cellphone”. But thanks to a tweet by former Google developer Chris Messina fourteen years ago, it’s now become synonymous with trending topics on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/chrismessina/status/223115412

As a result of this fated tweet, August 23rd is now known in the Twittersphere as Hashtag Day, in commemoration of Messina’s tweet that started it all. You even get a special little emoji if you post the hashtag #HashtagDay —

▼ Just like this.

In celebration of the humble hashtag and its booming popularity, Twitter released the worldwide top ten most used hashtags posted to its website during the first half of 2021. Eagle eyed readers may spot a common theme amongst the top ten, with a certain Army dominating the rankings.

Top Ten Most Posted Hashtags Worldwide (Jan – June 2021)

  • 1.#iHeartAwards
  • 2.#BTS
  • 3.#WhatsHappeningInMyanmar
  • 4.#BestFanArmy
  • 5.#BBB21
  • 6.#BTSArmy
  • 7.#EXO
  • 8.#Enhypen
  • 9.#BestMusicVideo
  • 10.#Dynamite

With the exception of number 3, all of the top ten consist of hashtags related to BTS and other South Korean groups like EXO and Enhypen.

But how does this compare to the Japanese top ten? BTS are extremely popular here in Japan, but are they popular enough to break into the most Tweeted hashtag rankings? Here are the Japanese top ten and an explanation for what each of them mean.

10. #fgo

FGO, or Fate/Grand Order is a popular Japanese RPG mobile game that, despite being released way back in 2015, is still going strong with a loyal fanbase.

9. #モンスト (MonSuto)

https://twitter.com/tukkii4649/status/1429957308369432636

MonSuto is an abbreviation for Monster Strike (“Strike” being pronounced sutoraiku in Japanese), another Japanese cell phone game where players collect monsters and use them in battle. Like FGO, Monster Strike has enduring popularity, having first been released way back in 2013. Many Tweets using the hashtag #MonSuto are from users sharing their rare gacha drops.

8. #sixtones

SixTONES (which, for some reason, is pronounced as ‘stones’) are a Japanese boy band managed by Johnny and Associates. Originally the group worked as backup dancers for fellow Johnny’s boy band SexyZone but made their debut in 2020, with the release of their first album earlier this year. Their first five singles all went to number one in the Oricon music charts.

7. #呪術廻戦 (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Jujutsu Kaisen is a manga series telling the story of a group of supernatural high school students in Tokyo, and has sold over 50 million copies. The wildly popular manga was adapted into an anime series that finished its run earlier this year.

6. #jo1

https://twitter.com/blueview_kr/status/1428694162065412100

JO1 is another Japanese boyband, formed as a result of reality competition TV show Produce 101 Japan. The group was chosen via public vote and debuted in 2020.

5. #snowman

Nope, Japanese Twitter isn’t keen on keeping the country a winter wonderland all year long — Snow Man is yet another Japanese boy band managed by Johnny and Associates. They debuted on the same day as SixTONES, and their songs have been used as openings for the anime Black Clover.

4. #nintendoswitch

We don’t really need to explain this one, hopefully. With Nintendo bringing out all kinds of fun games and people sharing their fun screenshots, we wouldn’t be surprised if #nintendoswitch stays in the top ten for a long time.

3. #原神 (Genshin Impact)

https://twitter.com/Genshin_7/status/1428723495098327046

Genshin Impact, the Chinese free-to-play RPG, takes the number three spot in the top ten most Tweeted hashtags. Even in the offline world, Genshin Impact’s… well, impact has been such that even Akihabara natives AKB48 conceded to it.

2. #ローソン (Lawson)

https://twitter.com/ishi_n59/status/1429644417594368002

One of the big three convenience stores in Japan and loved by celebrities like Katy Perry, Lawson takes second place. Many Twitter users make use of the Lawson tag due to all the coupons and campaigns the convenience store shares on the site. Twitter users also like to post snaps of things they buy from Uchi Cafe, Lawson’s range of sweets.

1.#ウマ娘 (Uma Musume)

Taking the top spot is Uma Musume (meaning “Horse Girls“), a manga, anime and game series where champion race horses are reincarnated as ‘horse girls’. While the original manga was first published in 2016, February 2021 saw the release of the Uma Musume game. With users flooding the platform with not only screenshots of gacha pulls but also fanart of the characters, it’s no wonder Horse Girl ended in first place in the rankings.

So while South Korean boybands are conspicuously absent from Japan’s top ten, entries like J01 and SixTONES suggest no matter where you go, boy bands are popular in online communities, no matter the country. It’s just that Japanese Twitter prefers horse girls and roll cakes to cute boys, and that is a sentence I never thought I’d be lucky enough to be able to write.

Source: Twitter/@TwitterJP via Otakomu
Featured image: Pakutaso (edited by SoraNews24)
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