Tokai On Air (Japanese: 東海オンエア) is a Japanese YouTuber group based in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture consisting of 6 members: Tetsuya, Ryo, Shibayu, Toshimitsu, Yumemaru, and Mushimegane. The group began posting videos on YouTube in 2013, and belong to multi-channel network UUUM since 2017.
As of February 2023, the main channel Tokai On Air was the 5th most-viewed channel in Japan with 11.92 billions views,[3] and the 14th most-subscribed channel in Japan with 6.82 million subscribers.[4] The group additionally has a secondary channel "Tokai On Air Hikaeshitsu" (Tokai On Air Waiting Room), and each member has their own personal channel.
Overview
The group was named "Tokai On Air" as all members hail from Aichi Prefecture in Japan's Tōkai region. Since 2016, the members have been annually appointed as tourism missionaries of Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture.[5][6][7] Video themes involve mostly experiments and competitions between the members,[8] and the group's main concept is "doing what children want to do but cannot do."[9][10][11]
The group often has severe penalty games for the loser of a game or a quiz, that are in effect even during the member's private life,[12] such as Tetsuya not being able to eat cream puffs during the entire Reiwa era.[13] Although many viewers appreciate the members for devoting themselves wholeheartedly, sometimes even risking their own health, for the content, others have criticized them for "strangling themselves" and being too hardcore.[14]
Tokai On Air are open about their private life, and their leader Tetsuya in particular does not hesitate to speak about his love life or fetishes and does not enjoy lying or pretending, even if it is a comment on food showcased on a TV show.[8]Z-sedai Hakusho, a white paper by TikTok, states that generation Z dislikes promotional and duplicitous content, which may be considered one reason for Tokai On Air's popularity.[15][8] On the other hand, many fellow YouTubers have said that Tetsuya "does not think", and viewers have criticized him for being "disrespectful" and "slovenly", sometimes resulting in Tokai On Air coming under fire from the public.[8]
History
On October 12, 2013, Tokai On Air's YouTube channel was created[16] and began by posting comedy and hidden camera videos.[17]
In August 2016, the group made a guest appearance at the Okazaki Castle Ieyasu Summer Festival, and were appointed as "Okazaki Tourism Missionaries" by Okazaki City.[18][5] Ever since, they have been appointed the role annually.[19][8]
On November 18, 2017, the group announced that they would join the multi-channel network UUUM at UUUM's U-FES. 2017 event.[20][21][22]
In 2020, BitStar's Influencer Power Ranking ranked Tokai On Air number one for the first half of 2020[27][28] as well as summer 2020 in terms of total YouTube channel views (in Japan).[29][30][31]
On October 1, 2016, member Shibayu married Ayanan, a fellow YouTuber. The two are active on the couple's own YouTube channel, Shibanan Channel.[39]
On February 14, 2017, Tetsuya became a victim of stalking by a woman who had seen a Tokai On Air video.[40] The woman was arrested again in December of the same year for stalking YouTuber Hajime Syacho.[41]
In January 2021, Tetsuya received widespread criticism for defending YouTuber Mahoto Watanabe on Twitter concerning allegations that Watanabe had solicited obscene photos from an underage girl and blackmailed her with them. Although at the time of Tetsuya's tweet the allegations were not confirmed and the tweet was received as defense against slander, following Watanabe's UUUM contract termination and arrest, Tetsuya was widely recognized as a defender of Watanabe and his actions.[42]
Zaimyō minpō rajio 5-kyoku kyōdō kikaku Yume Tube ~ anata no yume o rajio ga tsunagu ~ (CBC Radio, Tokai Radio, FM Aichi, ZIP-FM, Radio NEO, September 10, 2017)[55]
Tokai On Air Natsu no tokubetsu jugyō (TBS Radio, September 2, 2018)[56]
