Who is Hikakin?
The most famous YouTuber in Japan, ひかきん・Hikakin.
He opened his first YouTube account in 2006 when he was in high school in Niigata, Japan. YouTube was not well known in Japan back then, and he signed up only to view his favorite Beatboxers overseas.
He started to upload his own beatbox videos but it was just a hobby. After high school, Hikakin left home town and started to work for a supermarket in Tokyo. It was a humble start in the big city.
He continued to create more videos, and in 2010, his "Super Mario Beatbox" hit the top spot in YouTube Japan, 200,000 access in 24 hrs, 1 million in 1 week. He confirmed that the joy and excitement he felt then was indeed his starting point.
After that, his achievement as a pro YouTuber has been non-stop. He is considered to be the pioneer YouTuber in Japan who can earn living by uploading original videos.
Now in his thirties, he is a nationally known celebrity not only on YouTube, but also on TV and Live stage.
What's so special about Hikakin?
That's his core personality. He is one of the few celebrities that we've seen who does not change or get swayed by popularity or wealth, at least seems that way. Also, he is one of the few successful YouTubers who never really had a scandal.
All his videos are G rated, popular among kids as well. So, in short, Hikakin is the guy who can be a healthy role model for younger generations. Parents won't say no to their kids viewing HIkakin Videos.
It's also his achievement and popularity that triggered "YouTuber fever" in Japan. Kids nowadays proudly announce that their dream career is a YouTuber. The reasons being:
- You are your own boss
- You do what you like
- You can be rich with almost no initial capital.
Gradual change in Japanese culture
The departure from Corporate Japan to more individualized, down to earth life style is more apparent in younger generations of Japan.
After WWII, Japan went through rigorous rebuilding and restructuring of the society. That baby boomer generation had to be a tight knit team to thrive. The spirit of "One for all, all for one".
But now, most of them are either passed or retired, and almost all workers are "children who know no war (せんそう を しらない こどもたち）". We always had plenty food on the table, safe roof above, and nice clothes (most of us in general).
And the first post-war generation are now grandpa & grandma. And their children and grandchildren are more layback and less aggressive, they don't like the restriction and commitment required by the tight knit organizations. A few decades ago, working for lucrative big names like SONY were the dream of fresh college graduates. But not so much any more.
They are still at the top of the list, but more youngsters are willing to work in small to med companies where they can be more visible and can step up quicker. Also, they know now that big names won't be as reliable as before. Generations YZ or Millennials have witnessed the fragile side of the Corporate Japan.
Rapid development and expansion of internet business has been another huge influence on the Gen YZ. And on top of it all, the Pandemic forced workers and students to immerse in the cyber space.
All these elements gathered and started to create a trend. Japan's young generations (Millennials) are more realistic, conservative, and less trusting of their senior generations. At the same time, they tend to avoid hard labor, or don't see the valid merit in it. They dream of creating their own venture business, utilizing their internet savviness.
Hikakin can be their hero and mentor. But we all know that he is the "one in a million" material. Just like a lot of kids say they want to be a professional ball player, and only a handful will realize the dream, being a successful YouTuber or a lucrative internet business operator is a lot harder than most would imagine.
I hope today's young generations find their own unique path to survive and thrive in this ruthless world we live in.
See you next time! 
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