Yuma Kagiyama, Ami Nakai, and Shohei Ohtani top the 'Pure' athlete rankings, while Riku Miura (RikuRyu pair), Kaori Sakamoto, and Ami Nakai dominate the 'Glamorous' category, with figure skaters leading overall.

Hakuhodo Inc., in collaboration with Hakuhodo DY Sports Marketing Inc. and Data Stadium Inc., conducted the 'Athlete Image Evaluation Survey' in March 2026, between February 27 and March 2, to measure the comprehensive public perception of athletes.

■ About the Survey ■

The Overall Athlete Image Ranking is as follows: 1st: Shohei Ohtani (MLB), 2nd: Riku Miura (RikuRyu pair, Figure Skating), 3rd: Ryuichi Kihara (RikuRyu pair, Figure Skating), 4th: Kaori Sakamoto (Figure Skating), 5th: Ami Nakai (Figure Skating).

Regarding individual image attributes, the 'Pure' athlete rankings are: 1st: Yuma Kagiyama (Figure Skating), 2nd: Ami Nakai (Figure Skating), 3rd: Shohei Ohtani (MLB), 4th: Rikako Ikee (Swimming), 5th: Haruka Kitaguchi (Athletics). The 'Glamorous' athlete rankings are: 1st: Riku Miura (RikuRyu pair, Figure Skating), 2nd: Kaori Sakamoto (Figure Skating), 3rd: Ami Nakai (Figure Skating), 4th: Ryuichi Kihara (RikuRyu pair, Figure Skating), and 5th: Shohei Ohtani (MLB), with figure skaters who competed in the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics dominating the top spots.

In other categories, Ran Takahashi (Volleyball) ranked 1st for 'Cool,' Ami Nakai (Figure Skating) for 'Cute,' Kaori Sakamoto (Figure Skating) for 'Cheerful,' Hajime Moriyasu (Soccer) for 'Leadership,' Takefusa Kubo (Overseas Soccer) for 'Technical,' and Shohei Ohtani (MLB) for 'Inspiring/Giving Dreams.'

The 'Athlete Image Evaluation Survey' is an original study designed to provide foundational data for commercial casting, measuring athlete awareness, favorability, and 29 specific image attributes. We will continue to conduct and analyze this survey on a regular basis.

【Overall Athlete Image Ranking】

1st: Shohei Ohtani (MLB)
2nd: Riku Miura (RikuRyu pair, Figure Skating)
3rd: Ryuichi Kihara (RikuRyu pair, Figure Skating)
4th: Kaori Sakamoto (Figure Skating)
5th: Ami Nakai (Figure Skating)
6th: Tokito Oda (Tennis)
7th: Naoya Inoue (Boxing)
8th: Rikako Ikee (Swimming)
9th: Haruka Kitaguchi (Athletics)
10th: Yu Darvish (MLB)

【Athlete Individual Image Rankings】

We have ranked the top 5 athletes for each individual image attribute. We have also created rankings for the top 5 sports. By comparing 'athletes' and 'sports' through individual image attributes, those that appear in the top rankings for both have been underlined.