April 3rd is "Hobby Day": SmartNews Launches Special Page "SmartNews 100 Selected Hobby Channels"

SmartNews Corporation (Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and CEO: Kaisei Hamamoto), whose mission is to deliver quality information to those who need it around the world, has launched a special page, "SmartNews 100 Selected Hobby Channels," introducing carefully selected hobby-related channels from its news app "SmartNews." This launch coincides with April 3rd being designated as "Hobby Day" due to the Japanese語語呂合わせ (goroawase) of "shi (4) mi (3)" (hobby). In conjunction with this, SmartNews also announced "Hobbies Gaining Attention in 2026" by analyzing subscriber data for the channels introduced on "SmartNews 100 Selected Hobby Channels."

"SmartNews 100 Selected Hobby Channels" Special Page

https://feature.in.smartnews.com/hobby

Enjoy "SmartNews 100 Selected Hobby Channels" with 100 types of Chikyu-kun and famous (or infamous) quotes

SmartNews offers a wide variety of hobby-related channels, including reading, movies, running, sweets, and interior design, in addition to news. Users can add channels according to their interests and enjoy information tailored to their preferences.

The "SmartNews 100 Selected Hobby Channels" introduces 100 carefully chosen highly hobby-oriented channels available within SmartNews. In addition, SmartNews' official character, "Chikyu-kun," appears in 100 different illustrations, each representing a hobby. Famous (or infamous) quotes and maxims related to each hobby are also included, making this special page a comprehensive overview of the wide world of hobbies. From the page, users can add each hobby channel to the SmartNews app and read articles.

"Hobbies Gaining Attention in 2026" from SmartNews Data

In conjunction with the launch of "SmartNews 100 Selected Hobby Channels," SmartNews analyzed data from the channels introduced on the page to identify "Hobbies Gaining Attention in 2026." As a result, an increase in channel subscribers was observed across a wide range of fields, including outdoor activities, food, culture/entertainment, sports, and indoor activities.

Hobbies Gaining Attention by Category

Outdoor

Overseas Travel (116.3%) / Hot Springs (113.9%) / Sauna (111.4%)

Food

Sweets (114.9%) / Fast Food (114.3%) / Cafes (113.9%)

Culture/Entertainment

Western Music (115.4%) / Classical Music (112.8%) / Korean Dramas (112.6%)

Sports

Volleyball (113.2%) / Sumo (110.3%) / Figure Skating (109.4%)

Indoor

Art Museums (114.2%) / History (110.8%) / Art (104.9%)

Increased Interest in Main Hobbies Seen from Data

Overseas Travel

In the "Outdoor" category, "Overseas Travel" showed the highest growth. While the cost of overseas travel has increased due to the weak yen and rising prices, 2026 is expected to have many three-day weekends, and a long holiday, the first in 11 years, is scheduled for September. These calendar factors are believed to be behind the increase in users subscribing to channels for collecting travel information.

Western Music

In the "Culture/Entertainment" category, "Western Music" showed the highest growth. In February, the Grammy Awards, an international music award, announced its winners, and news about the winning artists and works was widely reported. While there has been a trend of people moving away from Western music in recent years, opportunities to encounter international music through social media and video platforms have also increased, and it is thought that these topics led to increased interest.

Volleyball

In the "Sports" category, "Volleyball" showed the highest growth. In recent years, the domestic top league has seen a significant increase in spectator attendance, triggered by the transition to a new league system, and the overall attention to the sport is growing. Against this backdrop of topicality, it is inferred that channel subscriptions for continuously following related news have increased.

"Hobbies Gaining Attention in 2026" Survey Overview

This analysis targeted the 100 channels introduced in "SmartNews 100 Selected Hobby Channels" and was compiled based on the growth rate of channel subscribers. Changes in subscriber numbers during the period from January 1 to February 28, 2026, were analyzed, and hobbies gaining attention were extracted by category. Note that "attention" in this survey is based on the growth rate of channel subscribers.

SmartNews will continue to create encounters with information that enriches daily life through a variety of hobby channels, not just news. We will continue to promote further service evolution toward realizing our mission of delivering quality information to those who need it around the world.

About SmartNews Corporation

Since its establishment on June 15, 2012, SmartNews Corporation has been committed to its mission of "delivering quality information to those who need it around the world." It develops the news app "SmartNews" in Japan and the United States, boasting one of the largest user bases among news apps in Japan. From the end of 2023, it launched its first subscription service, "SmartNews+", and together with its subsidiary SlowNews, provides quality reporting and diverse content born from excellent journalism. Underpinned by algorithms that continuously analyze vast amounts of information worldwide day and night, and strong partnerships with over 3,000 media partners both domestically and internationally, SmartNews aims to continue contributing to society by effectively delivering quality information to as many users as possible through a comfortable interface optimized for smart devices. https://about.smartnews.com/ja/