From 15M to 16M in a Week: Secret Behind Hikakin’s YouTube Success

Hikaru Kaihatsu (aka Hikakin), a Japanese online streamer, is drawing a lot of attention for the number of subscribers skyrocketing on his YouTube channel.

Recently, HikakinTV saw an increase of one million subscribers in just a week. On May 4th, his channel surpassed 15 million subscribers; by May 11th, it reached 16 million. By May 14th, it recorded 16.4 million, continuing its upward trend.

Hikakin analyzed the sudden increase in subscribers during a live broadcast, stating, “It’s because short video content is garnering a lot of attention overseas.” He started producing short clip content in 2020. He uploaded ten videos he diligently researched for his channel, explaining that these videos garnered a significant response overseas. Surprised, he said it felt “as different as another platform from regular videos.”

Hikaru, an online broadcaster with 4.9 million subscribers, congratulated Hikakin on the increase in subscribers on May 14th. He advised, “If you follow modern ‘tips and tricks,’ your subscribers will skyrocket. Anyone who wants subscribers should try it.”

However, Hikaru explained that he feels the value of subscribers has decreased compared to five years ago. He predicted that in the future, “the number of fans who genuinely want to support online broadcasters, rather than the number of subscribers or views, will become important.” He said, “I used to increase subscribers or followers in the form of events,” but “I absolutely do not do it now.”