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, and the 14th most-subscribed channel in Japan with 6.82 million subscribers. 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. Video themes involve mostly experiments and competitions between the members, and the group's main concept is "doing what children want to do but cannot do."
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, such as Tetsuya not being able to eat cream puffs during the entire Reiwa era. 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.
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. 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. 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.
History On October 12, 2013, Tokai On Air's YouTube channel was created and began by posting comedy and hidden camera videos.
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. Ever since, they have been appointed the role annually.
On November 18, 2017, the group announced that they would join the multi-channel network UUUM at UUUM's U-FES. 2017 event.
In June 2019, Tokai On Air became an ambassador for "Team Coca-Cola Tokyo 2020 Olympics" for the 2020 Summer Olympics by Coca-Cola Japan. They appeared at events with HIKAKIN, Hajime Syacho, Fischer's, AVNTIS, and Mizutamari Bond.
In 2020, BitStar's Influencer Power Ranking ranked Tokai On Air number one for the first half of 2020 as well as summer 2020 in terms of total YouTube channel views (in Japan).
During the Tokyo 2020 Olympic torch relay in 2021, Tokai On Air carried the Olympic flame through their hometown Okazaki City.
Members NameDate of birthPlace of birthRoleTetsuyaOctober 30, 1993(2016). Star Creators!~YouTuberの本~ October 2016. ENTERBRAIN. p. 9. ISBN 978-4047263826.Okazaki, Aichi PrefectureLeaderShibayuDecember 30, 1993(2016). Star Creators!~YouTuberの本~ October 2016. ENTERBRAIN. p. 8. ISBN 978-4047263826.Okazaki, Aichi PrefectureYouTube StoryRyoJune 11, 1993Okazaki, Aichi PrefectureShooting preparationToshimitsuJuly 17, 1993(2015) Star Creators!~YouTuberの本4~. ENTERBRAIN. p. 88. ISBN 978-4047308909.Okazaki, Aichi PrefectureEventsYumemaruJanuary 23, 1994(2015) Star Creators!~YouTuberの本4~. ENTERBRAIN. p. 91. ISBN 978-4047308909.Anjō, Aichi PrefectureMembershipMushimeganeSeptember 29, 1992Okazaki, Aichi PrefectureAccounting Secondary channel
Episodes On October 1, 2016, member Shibayu married Ayanan, a fellow YouTuber. The two are active on the couple's own YouTube channel, Shibanan Channel.
On February 14, 2017, Tetsuya became a victim of stalking by a woman who had seen a Tokai On Air video. The woman was arrested again in December of the same year for stalking YouTuber Hajime Syacho.
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.
On August 16, 2022, Tetsuya married former AKB48 member Minami Minegishi.
Music In 2019, three of Tokai On Air's members, Tetsuya, Shibayu and Toshimitsu, formed a musical group called "Recitals".
Singles Release dateArtist nameTitleTypeLabelNotesJuly 20, 2018Tokai On Air TetsuyaComing Out of THE WORLD.Digital releaseNovember 22, 2019RecitalsOrera RecitalsDigital releaseUUUM MusicMarch 20, 2021RecitalsDejavina (Japanese ver.)Digital releaseUUUM MusicEnding theme of on FNS
Appearances
Television
(Fuji TV, November 11, 2014) Tetsuya, Toshimitsu (CBC TV, October 4, 2017) (NHK Educational, October 15, 2018) Tetsuya, Toshimitsu, Shibayu (NNS, February 27, 2020) Tetsuya, Shibayu, Ryo (NNS, October 3, 2020) Tetsuya, Shibayu (Nippon TV, December 28–30, 2020) Jinsei no Game jikkyō! Tokai Sai On Air (Chukyo TV, March 13, 2021)
Streaming television
(AbemaTV, January 27, 2018) Tetsuya, Toshimitsu, Mushimegane (YouTube Originals, 10 episodes, March 23, 2020)
Radio
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) Tokai On Air Natsu no tokubetsu jugyō (TBS Radio, September 2, 2018) (Tokai Radio, October 4, 2018 – present)
Tours
Headlining Gachinko Kuji-Kuji Biki-Biki Tsua-Tsua Don-Don! Tour (2019 – 2020) Supporting U-FES. Tour 2017 (2017) U-FES. Tour 2018 (2018) U-FES. Tour 2019 (2019)
References