Why Did Channel Sakura Gain So Many Subscribers in 2019?

* This article was written as of September 29, 2019.

It was confirmed that Channel Sakura, a conservative news channel known mainly to those in the know, reached 400,000 YouTube subscribers as of September 29.

In January 2019 the channel had around 290,000 subscribers; its audience grew rapidly only this year. So why did Channel Sakura gain subscribers so quickly? Here are a few possible reasons.

Launching the National Conservative Party and Kunimorishu

This year Channel Sakura launched a political group, the National Conservative Party, and fought the unified local elections. Based on the results, it then created Kunimorishu, a civil defence organization. This series of moves attracted politically interested people and, I think, boosted subscriptions. Kunimorishu members promoting Channel Sakura on their own initiative probably helped too.

Well-Known Contributors

Another factor is viewers arriving via related videos from already well-known contributors, such as economic commentator Takaaki Mitsuhashi. Mitsuhashi launched his own YouTube channel, Mitsuhashi TV, last October, and it now has 115,000 subscribers. The channel seems to be gaining viewers who flow in from various related videos like these.

Distrust of Legacy Media

Distrust of legacy media (TV and newspapers) has begun to spread among ordinary people. The gap between news of an “Abenomics boom” and how people actually felt about the economy became especially wide this year, as the effects of the US–China trade war became obvious.

In my view, the major media — in league with the Ministry of Finance — had to keep up propaganda (false reporting and impression management) to make sure the consumption tax hike went ahead. They kept exaggerating the achievements of Abenomics even though the real economy remained stuck in deflation. As a result, many people began to notice the deception and look for information themselves, and Channel Sakura gained new viewers.

The Unified Local Elections and the Upper House Election

2019 had two major elections — the unified local elections and the House of Councillors election — which raised public interest in politics. The resulting demand for political information also brought Channel Sakura more viewers.

The Quality of Channel Sakura Itself

Above all, I think the quality of Channel Sakura's information is very high. Its programmes focus on information people need but that the news won't broadcast. Because they are funded by donations from ordinary people rather than shaped by political correctness, big business, religious groups or unions, this kind of reporting is possible — and that, ultimately, is what attracts potential viewers and drove the dramatic growth.

* That said, because Channel Sakura is produced and run on someone's donations, it will continue to need them to keep up its quality, and it still accepts donations: Channel Sakura donations page (Japanese).

What Lies Ahead

Looking ahead, the economic slump likely to follow the consumption tax hike from October 2019, political upheaval and domestic turmoil will probably increase Channel Sakura's subscribers further. How the Japanese people act at that time will surely be a major turning point for Japan.

September 29, 2019 — sandragon965

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