Asked to Current High School Students of the Reiwa Era! 2026 First Half "Most Memorable Events Ranking" - Entertainment Only Arashi & Sakanaction!?

Half of 2026 has passed, and various events have occurred.

There were many disturbing incidents overseas, and looking domestically, there were also many news items that made us anxious about the future due to rising prices and a rush of price increases.

So, what are the news and events that current high school students of the Reiwa era remember most from the first half of 2026?

"Wakamono Research," a marketing information site targeting teenagers and current high school students (https://wakamono-research.co.jp/media/), conducted a survey asking current high school students (male and female) nationwide, "What are the events that you remember most from the first half of 2026?" This was an open-ended survey, and this time we will introduce some of the results as a ranking.

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【First Half of 2026 for Current High School Students of the Reiwa Era: "War," "Bears," and "Arashi" in the TOP 3】

According to the results of this survey, the top rank was "Impact of the War between the US and Iran" (16.0%).

This war began at the end of February this year when the United States and Israel jointly launched a large-scale military operation against Iran with the aim of preventing Iran's nuclear weapons development.

As a result, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, which led to a rush of price increases for gasoline and petroleum-related products in Japan.

Although it was an event overseas, it had a significant impact on Japan, and current high school students showed high interest.

Responses included, "Because it's affecting logistics,"

"Because crude oil stopped coming to Japan,"

"Because gasoline prices went up,"

"The price of crude oil seems bad."

"Because we're feeling the pinch of not getting oil,"

Many high school students remembered this event because it was closely related to their own lives, such as logistics and crude oil prices.

In particular, the fact that potato chip packaging from companies like Calbee was changed to black and white due to a shortage of naphtha, a petroleum derivative, such as "Because of rising prices, the bags of potato chips turned silver," "The potato chip bags turned black and white," "Because of rising prices, things got expensive, and the potato chip bags turned silver," and "Because of the naphtha shortage, the potato chip packaging became monochrome," seemed to be a shocking event that remained firmly in the minds of high school students.

Other responses included, "I didn't think it would happen," and "I was surprised that they suddenly started a war!?" The impact of armed conflict occurring during the time these high school students are alive, and wishes for the war to end quickly, such as "Wars should not be fought" and "I don't want any more fighting," were also received, making it the most memorable event for current high school students of the Reiwa era in the first half of the year.

Next, "Bear Sightings Across Japan" (13.5%) ranked second.

Last month, a bear appeared in the central area of Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture, and it was widely reported on TV and the internet.

In recent years, cases of bears coming down to populated areas in search of food have become commonplace, and bears have been sighted one after another in Hachioji, Tokyo.

Many high school students seem to feel that this is no longer a distant issue.

Reasons for this event being memorable included responses like, "It's the biggest problem ever," "It was reported a lot on the news," and "It's been on the news a lot lately," indicating that the frequent media coverage had an impact. Many also expressed fear, such as "It's increasing significantly compared to the past, and I feel scared," "Bears are scary," "I was really scared," and "It's also causing harm to people."

Furthermore, responses like "It came into urban areas," "A bear appeared in the city," "It appeared in the city," "It concerns my area," and "It appeared in the area where I live" suggest that the appearance of bears in unexpected urban areas or within the daily lives of high school students made it feel less like a distant issue and left a strong impression.

If bear sightings continue to increase, "bears" might become the sole major news topic for high school students in 2026.

Third place was "Arashi's Last Tour and End of Activities" (12.8%).

While not a cheerful event, entertainment-related topics finally made the ranking.

Arashi concluded their group activities of approximately 26 and a half years on May 31, 2026, the final day of their Tokyo Dome concert, "ARASHI LIVE TOUR 2026 'We are ARASHI'."

Although not the biggest stars for the high school generation, they left a considerable impression, with responses such as "They were a national idol," "I was surprised that a national idol group disbanded," "The disbandment of a national idol group was shocking," "They were like a national idol, and I had favorite songs, so I felt sad," and "A very famous group quit."

This result showed that high school students recognized the greatness of Arashi as a "national idol."

Another opinion reflecting the Reiwa high school student perspective was, "Arashi existed before I was born, so I never thought they would disband," "They were heroes since I was born," and "Arashi was always there since I was born and always on TV." Some high school students expressed sadness at the departure of Arashi, who had been superstars and heroes for longer than they had been alive, and who had been a constant presence for so long.

Additionally, responses from current Arashi fans or those with friends who are fans were prominent, such as "I really liked Arashi," "I liked them since I was a child," "I liked them since I was a child," "I'm very sad that Arashi, whom I listened to often as a child, has ended their activities. I was a big fan, so I was shocked," and "My friends were fans and were very sad."

For Arashi fans, this event may have become the central focus of their life's major news, surpassing the most memorable events of 2026.

【Events from 4th Place Onward Are Mostly Tragic; The Only Bright Spot is "Yoru no Odoriko"】

Looking at the rankings from 4th place onwards, we see tragic events: "Kyoto Boy Murder Case" (5.8%) at 4th place, "Ban'etsu Expressway Microbus Accident" (2.9%) at 7th place, and "Robbery-Murder Case in Kaminokawa Town, Tochigi" (2.2%) at 9th place.

For high school students, these incidents are closely related to "school" and "their own generation," making them particularly impactful.

Responses included, "He was the same age as my younger brother, and it was a very sad end,"

"I was surprised that someone my age was committing murder,"

"Someone close to my age is committing murder,"

"I'm also a high school student and in a club, so it doesn't feel like a distant issue,"

"It was heavily reported on the news. Also, it's about club activities."

These comments indicate that high school students found these events relatable.

The introduction of the "blue ticket" for bicycles, which ranked 10th (1.9%), also falls into this category of personal relevance, with responses such as "I ride my bike a lot," "I often ride my bike," "I ride my bike often, so it's scary," and "I commute by bike, so I was concerned." These were voices from high school students who frequently use bicycles.

In addition, "Shinnosuke Abe Resigns as Giants Manager Due to Assault on Daughter" (4.5%) ranked 5th, and "WBC Held" (2.6%) ranked 8th.

Coincidentally, both bright and dark aspects of baseball were chosen.

Regarding Mr. Abe, responses focused on the shock of the sudden news, such as "It was shocking" and "It was sudden." Fan opinions included, "I liked Shinnosuke Abe," and "I'm a Giants fan, and it was just shocking."

Many high school students were surprised by this unprecedented arrest, with one commenting, "It was modern that ChatGPT was used to make the decision to call child protective services."

On the other hand, regarding the WBC, responses came from baseball fans or those interested due to Shohei Ohtani, such as "I like baseball and watched it" and "I was very interested because Ohtani-san was participating."

While negative events occupied the top ranks, the only bright spot from 4th place onwards was "Sakanaction's 'Yoru no Odoriko' Becomes a Global Hit" (3.2%), which ranked 6th.

This song became a global hit approximately 14 years after its release. The trigger was a meme created by combining footage of the traditional Indonesian boat race "Patu Jalur" with the song "Yoru no Odoriko." It quickly spread on social media platforms like TikTok, and eventually, even Sakanaction's vocalist, Ichiro Yamaguchi, imitated it, leading to a major trend in Japan.

High school students responded with straightforward reasons like "It became a meme" and "It's trending," indicating they remembered it because it was a popular topic they encountered.

Furthermore, one high school student commented, "I don't understand what's so good about that dance, but it was trending," suggesting that even if they initially wondered "What is this?" the desire to participate in the trend led to it becoming a memorable event.

Another response was, "This led me to listen to Sakanaction's music," indicating that "Sakanaction" might have been added to the list of artists that current Reiwa high school students are interested in.

【Details of This Survey Results Here】

Details and the full scope of the survey results introduced here can be viewed on "Wakamono Research."

https://wakamono-research.co.jp/media/2026-high-school-events-ranking/

In addition, "Wakamono Research Inc." leverages its "network with 90% of high schools nationwide" and "network of over 50,000 young people nationwide" to provide "one-of-a-kind" marketing and research that existing marketing companies and sites for young people and Gen Z cannot offer.

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Please feel free to consult with us.

▶ For achievements and inquiries, click here

contact@wakamono-research.co.jp

▶ Wakamono Research Inc. HP

https://wakamono-research.co.jp/

Survey Period: June 5, 2026 - June 10, 2026

Survey Organization: Wakamono Research Inc.

Survey Target: Current high school students nationwide (male and female)

Valid Responses: 312

Survey Method: Internet research

【Regarding Citation/Reproduction of This Survey Result (Image)】

When quoting or reproducing part of this survey, please include "Wakamono Research" as the source and the URL (https://wakamono-research.co.jp/media/).

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【Contact Information for This Release】

Wakamono Research Inc.

MAIL: contact@wakamono-research.co.jp

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