JC & JK Slang Awards 2026 First Half Announced! "Lookism Satirical Cartoons," "setlog," and "Waho" Rank In!

AMF Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Rika Shiiki), a company that supports marketing for Gen Z, will announce the trends for the first half of 2026 (January-June 2026) divided into four categories: "People," "Things," "Content," and "Words." The selection results are based on the deliberations of elite members from the "JC-JK Research Team," a marketing group composed of junior and senior high school girls nationwide with a knack for trend research. In collaboration with Skyfall Inc. (hereinafter "Skyfall"), which specializes in market research for Gen Z, we have incorporated the results of a survey targeting 1,000 junior and senior high school girls nationwide. We have visualized "trends that are truly supported now" from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives. This is the latest ranking that measures "Gen Z's Now," based on the real voices and data from the JC-JK Research Team.

Explanation of Each Category

[People Category]

1st Place: MONAKI (Artist) A four-member group produced by Kazuyoshi Sakai, the leader of Junretsu. Their song "Honma yade☆ Nande yanen☆ Shiran kedo" became a huge hit with over 900 million total SNS views, primarily on TikTok, and they made their major debut in April 2026. Characterized by highly addictive lyrics that rhythmically repeat Kansai dialect phrases and expressive dance, the song also ranked 5th in the Words category as "Honma yade Nande yanen Shiran kedo." The "MONAKI dance" has become a daily sight among JC and JK.

2nd Place: HaruNene (Influencer) A couple formed on ABEMA's dating reality show "Suki ni Natta yo, Sotsugyo-hen 2026" (I Fell in Love, Graduation Edition 2026), Haruto Imai and Nene Tokita. Their "real youth" depicted on the show resonated with their peers, and they appeared together at major events like "ULTRA TEENS FES 2026." Their affectionate posts on social media have garnered immense support from JC and JK as the "ideal couple."

3rd Place: SEIKIN (YouTuber) SEIKIN, one of Japan's leading YouTubers, has once again gained attention from the JC and JK generation after a remark from about 11 years ago, "Waho," was rediscovered on TikTok. As the originator of the 1st place word in the Words category, "Waho," he is a symbol of "revival consumption," where past content becomes a hit years later.

4th Place: Miyako (Influencer) A creator primarily active on TikTok and YouTube channel "Miyako no Owari desu Channel." Her straightforward "blunt talk" and her style of narrating everyday events with a unique tempo and humor have gained significant support, especially among JC and JK. She broke through with "Guchi Eminem" on TikTok and drama reenactment videos, becoming a creator leading Gen Z trends.

5th Place: TSU-san and Yuppi (Influencer) An "ex-couple reunited" influencer couple active mainly on YouTube and TikTok. Their real story of reuniting and living together after breaking up in their first year of high school, despite being childhood friends, resonates with JC and JK. Their unvarnished style of sharing their daily lives, including arguments, reconciliations, and working from home, has earned them support as the "ideal couple," demonstrating a new form of couple influencer who is popular without appearing on dating reality shows.

[Things Category]

1st Place: Mellojoy The biggest "thing" trend of the first half of 2026, Mellojoy's squishies. Their "ultra-low rebound" texture, made from high-quality silicone material different from traditional sponge types, became a hot topic on social media with descriptions like "mochi-mochi" and "puni-puni." Unboxing and ASMR videos enjoying the texture went viral on TikTok. Riding the wave of the squishy boom that has continued since 2025, their sale in blind boxes with adorable designs resembling food and animals stimulates collecting desires. They are in a "battle" state with continuous sell-outs immediately after stocking.

2nd Place: Dubai Choco Mochi A Japanese-style arrangement of the Dubai chocolate boom that has continued since 2025. It is supported for its triple texture experience: the "mochi-mochi" of gyuhi, the "crunchy" of kadaif, and the "melty" of chocolate. The visual impact of the cross-section and the chewing sound of kadaif have spread on social media as ASMR content, and the sharing of homemade recipes is also active. It symbolizes the creativity of JC and JK in sublimating overseas trends into a "Japanese taste."

3rd Place: zeta A Korean AI chat app called "zeta." It is an AI fiction platform where users co-create stories through conversations with characters. In April 2026, it ranked first in total usage time in the entertainment category in Japan. This trend indicates that AI is beginning to integrate fully into the digital lives of JC and JK.

4th Place: ONICHA A bottled barley tea brand produced by YouTuber HIKAKIN. Launched exclusively at 7-Eleven in April 2026, playful features on the back of the label, such as "Oni Mikuji" (demon fortune slips), became a topic of conversation among JC and JK. It symbolizes an era where original products created by creators directly influence the purchasing behavior of Gen Z.

5th Place: Cookie Makeup A trend makeup aiming for a warm, baked-goods-like finish with a "fluffy matte" texture, based on brown and beige tones, with suppressed shine. Its appeal lies in looking natural despite being "made up," and it is becoming a staple of SNS makeup because it is easy to replicate even with affordable cosmetics.

[Content Category]

1st Place: setlog A vlog creation app developed by "New Chat Inc.," based in Seoul, South Korea, and New York. By simply shooting and accumulating about 2 seconds of video every hour, the app automatically generates a vlog at the end of the day. It has gained support as a closed SNS that liberates users from the "pressure to be photogenic" like on Instagram, allowing them to share their unadorned, true selves (e.g., without makeup, in loungewear) with up to 12 close friends. The use of the app by K-pop idols such as SEVENTEEN and aespa's Karina has boosted its recognition, and it has become established among JC and JK as a "document tool for youth," ranking first in the Japanese App Store free rankings.

2nd Place: Tomodachi Collection The completely new installment in about 13 years, "Tomodachi Collection: Waku Waku Seikatsu" (Friend Collection: Exciting Life), was released in April 2026 and recorded a hit of over 560,000 copies in its first week. The fun of creating "Mii" versions of oneself, friends, and favorite idols and observing the unexpected human relationships that unfold in the game is a perfect match for SNS sharing culture. The trend of capturing surreal scenes and posting them on TikTok became popular among JC and JK, symbolizing the retro revival where "nostalgic content has returned in a new environment."

3rd Place: Lookism Satirical Cartoons Illustration and video content that satirizes or conveys messages about lookism (lookism), which have spread primarily on TikTok. Many depict the cruel reality, such as "no matter how much you try, you can't beat your innate bone structure," and while they resonate deeply for being "too realistic," concerns are also being raised about their negative impact on the mental health of young people.

4th Place: Yoru no Odoriko A song released by Sakanaction in 2012 that became a massive revival hit on TikTok 14 years later. The trigger was a short video posted by a Korean creator that combined footage of the traditional Indonesian boat race "Pacu Jalur" with this song. The surreal visuals and the fast-paced music matched perfectly, leading to its viral spread. Vocalist Ichiro Yamaguchi positively embraced the trend and performed a dance himself, which helped it spread to the general public beyond fans. It became an unusual situation, topping Oricon's streaming rankings. It is a symbol of "revival consumption," alongside the 1st place word "Waho."

5th Place: Tagosaku Kōbun A net meme imitating the unique way of speaking of the character "Suzuki Tagosaku" from the movie "Bakudan." It is characterized by a speech pattern that sounds logical yet eerie and humorous, such as "~ will do XX. This is because ~. Greetings, farewell."

Following its Netflix release in the spring of 2026, viewers rapidly increased, and its high versatility, applicable to any topic, led to a large number of parody videos on X and TikTok as an "Oogiri template" (a template for comedic improvisation). The unsettling nature of the character who calmly discusses serious topics, and the gap created by people humorously imitating it on social media, has struck a chord with Gen Z.

[Words Category]

1st Place: Waho The original source is an ad-lib from about 11 years ago (2014) by SEIKIN in his YouTube video "The Result of Eating MINTIA All at Once...": "A polar bear might come out, waho."

This remark, buried at the time, was rediscovered as TikTok audio and spread explosively due to its surreal sound and addictiveness. It has no specific meaning; the point is that its "meaninglessness" itself is enjoyed. It has become established as a catchphrase in classrooms and on social media, used as a "just in case" utterance. It is a prime example of "revival consumption," where past content becomes a hit over time. SEIKIN, the originator and 3rd place in the People category, is also involved, showing a connection across categories.

2nd Place: Frenemy A coined word combining "Friend" and "Enemy." It refers to someone who pretends to be friendly on the surface but is actually jealous or undermines you behind your back. While the word itself has existed before, among JC and JK in 2026, the "depth of connection" on social media has made complex human relationships more visible, and the word was rediscovered and became popular again as a way to verbalize that vague feeling. It is not just a "disliked person" but a word used daily in classrooms and group chats to process the fatigue that arises from the pretense of friendship. It is used to organize the fatigue that arises from the pretense of friendship.

3rd Place: Reisho-kei (Cynical Type) A net slang term referring to people or tendencies who adopt a detached, condescending attitude towards the serious claims or enthusiasm of others. Originally used in online political discussions, among JC and JK it has also come to signify a more everyday way of maintaining distance, such as "I can't help but feel distant when I see someone passionate" or "I feel the need to make a witty remark because they're being too objective."

It is a word that indicates the spread of a "chilled" atmosphere among young people, where "showing enthusiasm is uncool and risky," and along with "Lookism Satirical Cartoons" (3rd place in Content) and "Frenemy" (2nd place in Content), it symbolizes the rise of "cynical culture" in the first half of 2026.

4th Place: Ba-ku-re-tsu (Explosive) Originating from the chorus phrase of the song "Bakuretsu Aishiteru" (Explosive Love) by the boy group M!LK (released February 2026). The "Bakuretsu Pose" (Explosive Pose) performed with the chant "Ba-ku-re-tsu♡" became a staple on TikTok and purikura (photo booths), resulting in over 80,000 pieces of UGC (User Generated Content). Another A-side song from the same single, "Suki Sugite Metsu!" (Love You Too Much, Vanish!), was also selected for the top 50 nominees. M!LK is a "trend-generating machine" for the first half of 2026, having created multiple trend words such as "Ba-ku-re-tsu," "Suki Sugite Metsu," "XX Sugite Metsu," and "Bakuretsu Aishiteru."

5th Place: Honma yade Nande yanen Shiran kedo The song title of MONAKI (1st place in People) became a popular phrase as is. It is a phrase rhythmically connecting the Kansai dialect phrases "Honma yade" (That's true), "Nande yanen" (What are you talking about?), and "Shiran kedo" (But I don't know). Along with the song's dance, it has permeated daily conversations and social media posts. This ranking symbolizes the "crossover" between the People and Words categories, where a trend originating from a song has also influenced the Words category.

Comment from Rika Shiiki, CEO of AMF Inc. and General Producer of the "JC & JK Slang Awards"

Looking at the trends among JC and JK in the first half of 2026, I strongly felt that "the sense of time is dissolving."

The 1st place word "Waho" from a YouTube video 11 years ago, the 4th place content "Yoru no Odoriko" which revived a song from 14 years ago, and the 2nd place content "Tomodachi Collection" whose new installment in 13 years resonated with Gen Z. Past content is meeting new contexts on social media and being reborn as the hottest trends. This was a phenomenon symbolizing the first half of 2026.

For JC and JK, the Heisei era and the early 2010s are "unknown eras." That's precisely why the culture of those times appears fresh and "emo." Their discovery of the past from a different angle than those who experienced it in real-time is a very interesting phenomenon to observe.

In food trends as well, the creativity of JC and JK stands out. The 2nd place "Dubai Choco Mochi" in the Things category is an arranged version that reconstructs an overseas boom continuing since 2025 with Japan's characteristic "mochi" texture. Instead of simply importing overseas trends, their ability to translate them into their own context is becoming increasingly strong.

About the "JC & JK Slang Awards"

The "JC & JK Slang Awards," launched in 2017, is the only trend award selected based on the "real sensibilities" of junior and senior high school girls, organized and operated by AMF Inc., a pioneer in Gen Z marketing. The selection process incorporates survey results targeting approximately 1,000 junior and senior high school girls nationwide, conducted jointly with Skyfall Inc., which specializes in Gen Z market research, as well as the deliberations of elite members from the "JC-JK Research Team," who track trends daily. The award visualizes "highly resonant trends" across four categories, including words and items actually used on social media, hot content, and notable individuals. After its announcement, it attracts significant attention from both corporations and media, with over 190 million first-day SNS impressions and an annual advertising equivalent value of over 2.5 billion yen, making it one of Japan's leading Gen Z trend indicators.

AMF Inc. Overview

Company Name: AMF Inc. Established: February 2013 Representative: Rika Shiiki, Representative Director Business Activities: Marketing services for Gen Z, operation of the JC-JK Research Team, planning, product planning, development services, planning and production of various events. URL: https://amf.kids/ Contact for Inquiries: AMF Inc. Public Relations, [email protected]