2026 Korea-Japan Singer Showdown: Japan's Top 7

MBN's '2026 Korea-Japan Singer Showdown' achieved a record high viewership rating of 6.4% right from its first broadcast, securing the No. 1 spot across all channels in its time slot. This makes it the top-rated program in its time slot, including terrestrial, general programming, and cable channels, and also the No. 1 variety show on Tuesdays. The program is the world's only music national competition between Korea and Japan, pitting the TOP7 from Korea's 'National Singer 3' against the TOP7 from Japan's 'National Singer - Kahi (Japan Edition)'.

The Japanese TOP7 includes Hon Inoue, Azuma Aki, Natalia D, Tae Ri, Shimokita Hina, Nagai Manami, and Arakawa Karen. Unlike previous seasons, the Japanese team has been maintaining a high level of energy since the preliminary rounds, creating a different atmosphere than before. Yudai, the reigning Japanese queen from 2025, commented, "It's definitely a leveled-up lineup. I'm looking forward to victory this time," raising expectations for the upcoming competition.

Hon Inoue is the Japanese 'Queen' who made a strong first impression with her blue hair. She is skilled in singing, dancing, and rapping, and is a J-pop rising star who is a TikToker with 400,000 followers and 200 million views. She proved her momentum with her 'Tiger' performance in the preliminary '100 Seconds Challenge' and high expectations are placed on her performance in the first round of the main competition.

Azuma Aki is an enka singer who is making a comeback after participating in Season 1 of the 'Korea-Japan Singer Showdown,' joining the Japanese TOP2. She won a global song festival at the age of four and has since grown into a 14-year veteran enka singer. In the preliminary round, she sang Lee Je-ha's 'Moran Dongbaek,' showcasing her enhanced emotional expression.

Natalia D, a J-pop diva from Mexico, moved to Japan in 2021 and has since won various singing competitions, establishing herself as a representative foreign vocalist in Japan. She is leading the vitality of the Japanese team.