2026 in Japanese television
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Below is a non-comprehensive list of events associated with and affecting Japanese television in 2026.
Events
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| February 6 - February 22 | The 2026 Winter Olympics was held in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. | |
| February 8 - February 15 | With the end of No.1 Sentai Gozyuger, the Super Sentai franchise enters a hiatus. The Project R.E.D. series begins with Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity, replacing the former series' time slot. | |
| March 6 - March 15 | The 2026 Winter Paralympics was held in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. | |
| June 11 - July 19 | The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. |
Ongoing
| Show | Type | Channel | First aired/Japanese period | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 NHK | |||||
| NHK Amateur Song Contest | Talent show | NHK-G, NHK World Premium | March 15, 1953 (TV) | Showa | |
| With Mother | Kids | E-TV, NHK World Premium | October 5, 1959 | Showa | |
| Nintama Rantarō | Anime | NHK | April 10, 1993 | Heisei | |
| Ojarumaru | Anime | NHK | October 5, 1998 | Heisei | |
| Utacon | Music | NHK-G, NHK World Premium | April 12, 2016 | Heisei | |
 Nippon Television Network System | |||||
| Shōten | Comedy | Nippon Television | May 15, 1966 | Showa | |
| Soreike! Anpanman | Anime | Nippon Television | October 3, 1988 | Showa | |
| Downtown no Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende!! | Game show | Nippon Television | October 3, 1989 | Heisei | |
| Detective Conan | Anime | NNS | January 8, 1996 | Heisei | |
 Fuji Network System | |||||
| Music Fair | Music | Fuji TV | August 31, 1964 | Showa | |
| Sazae-san | Anime | Fuji TV | October 5, 1969 | Showa | |
| FNS Music Festival | Music | FNS | July 2, 1974 | Showa | |
| Chibi Maruko-chan | Anime | Fuji TV | January 8, 1995 | Heisei | |
| One Piece | Anime | Fuji TV | October 20, 1999 | Heisei | |
 TV Tokyo | |||||
| Ninjala | Anime | TV Tokyo | January 8, 2022 | Reiwa | |
| Pokémon | Anime | TV Tokyo | April 14, 2023 | Reiwa | |
 TV Asahi | |||||
| Super Hero Time[Notes 1] | Tokusatsu | TV Asahi | September 28, 2003 | Heisei | |
| Crayon Shin-chan | Anime | TV Asahi | April 13, 1992 | Heisei | |
| Doraemon | Anime | TV Asahi | April 15, 2005 | Heisei | |
| Music Station | Music | TV Asahi | October 24, 1986 | Showa | |
 TBS | |||||
| SASUKE | Sports | TBS | September 26, 1997 | Heisei | |
| Count Down TV | Music | TBS | April 7, 1993 | Heisei | |
New series and returning shows
| Show | Network | Premiere | Finale | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kunon the Sorcerer Can See | Tokyo MX | January 4, 2026 | March 29, 2026 | Series Ended | [1] |
| Brothers in Arms | NHK | January 4, 2026 | Ongoing | [2] | |
| My Hero Academia: Vigilantes (Season 2) | Tokyo MX | January 5, 2026 | March 30, 2026 | Series Ended | [3] |
| Fire Force (Season 3, Part 2) | TBS | January 10, 2026 | April 4, 2026 | Series Ended | [4] |
| Trigun Stargaze | TV Tokyo | January 10, 2026 | March 28, 2026 | Series Ended | [5] |
| Scum of the Brave | Nippon TV | January 11, 2026 | Ongoing | [6] | |
| 'Tis Time for "Torture," Princess (Season 2) | Tokyo MX | January 12, 2026 | March 30, 2026 | Series Ended | [7] |
| Oshi no Ko (Season 3) | Tokyo MX | January 14, 2026 | March 25, 2026 | Season Ended Renewed for Final Season |
[8] |
| Ultraman New Generation Stars (Season 4) | TV Tokyo | January 24, 2026 | June 20, 2026 | Ongoing | [9] |
| Medalist (Season 2) | TV Asahi | January 25, 2026 | March 22, 2026 | Series Ended | [10] |
| Star Detective Precure! | TV Asahi | February 1, 2026 | Ongoing | [11] | |
| Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity | TV Asahi | February 15, 2026 | Ongoing | [12] | |
| The Scent of the Wind | NHK | March 30, 2026 | Ongoing | [13] | |
| Dr. Stone: Science Future (Part 3) | Tokyo MX | April 2, 2026 | Ongoing | [14] | |
| That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (Season 4, part 1) | Nippon TV | April 3, 2026 | Ongoing | [15] | |
| Onegai AiPri | TV Tokyo | April 5, 2026 | Ongoing | [16] | |
| Magical Sisters LuluttoLilly | Tokyo MX | April 5, 2026 | Ongoing | [17] | |
| Ace of Diamond Act II (Season 2) | TV Tokyo | April 5, 2026 | Ongoing | [18] | |
| Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World (Season 4) | TV Tokyo | April 8, 2026 | Ongoing | [19] | |
| Mission: Yozakura Family (Season 2) | TBS | April 12, 2026 | Ongoing | [20] | |
| Wistoria: Wand and Sword (Season 2) | TBS | April 12, 2026 | Ongoing | [21] | |
| Soul Mate | Netflix | May 14, 2026 | Upcoming | [22] | |
| Ultraman Teo | TV Tokyo | July 4, 2026 | Upcoming | [23] | |
| Magilumiere Co. Ltd. (Season 2) | Nippon TV | July 2026 | Upcoming | [24] | |
| Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War (Part 4) | TV Tokyo | July 2026 | Upcoming | [25] | |
| Kamen Rider MY-TH | TV Asahi | September 2026 | Upcoming | [26] | |
| The Apothecary Diaries (Season 3, part 1) | Nippon TV | October 2026 | Upcoming | [27] |
Ending
| End date | Show | Channel | First aired | Replaced by | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 17 | Ultraman Omega | TV Tokyo | July 5, 2025 | Ultraman New Generation Stars (Season 4) | |
| January 25 | You and Idol Pretty Cure | TV Asahi | February 2, 2025 | Star Detective Precure! | |
| February 8 | No.1 Sentai Gozyuger[Notes 2] | TV Asahi | February 16, 2025 | Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity (Project R.E.D.) | |
| March 27 | The Ghost Writer's Wife | NHK | September 29, 2025 | The Scent of the Wind | |
| March 29 | Himitsu no AiPri | TV Tokyo | April 7, 2024 | Onegai AiPri | |
| Akko ni Omakase! | TBS | October 6, 1985 | Ueda Shinya no Sunday Q | [28] | |
Sports
| Airdate | Sports | Network | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 6 - February 22 | 2026 Winter Olympics | TBS | |
| March 6 - March 15 | 2026 Winter Paralympics | TBS | |
| June 11 - July 19 | 2026 FIFA World Cup | TBS |
Special events and milestone episodes
| Airdate | Show | Episode | Network | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 3 | Detective Conan | Episode ZERO | Nippon TV | [29] |
| May 2 | My Hero Academia | Bonus special episode | Nippon TV | [30] |
| December 31 | 77th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen | NHK | ||
Deaths
| Date | Name | Age | Notable Works | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Hiroshi Kume | 81 | Presenter, news anchor (TV Asahi) | [31] |
| January 20 | Kōzō Shioya | 70 | Voice actor (Dragon Ball Z), dubbing actor (Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends) | [32] |
| January 31 | Masaru Ikeda | 83 | Voice actor (Yatterman, Death Note) | [33] |
| February 16 | Hideaki Hatta | 76 | President, co-founder (Kyoto Animation) | [34] |
| February 20 | Satoshi Mori | 41 | Director, writer (Cardfight!! Vanguard overDress) | [35] |
| Nozomi Aoki | 94 | Music composer (Fist of the North Star, Galaxy Express 999) | [36] | |
| February 22 | Reiko Katsura | 89 | Voice actress (Sazae-san, Shin Obake no Q-Taro, Yatterman) | [37] |
| March 3 | Masako Ikeda | 87 | Voice actress (Galaxy Express 999, Barbapapa Around the World) | [38] |
| March 5 | Yonehiko Kitagawa | 94 | Voice actor (Kinnikuman) | [39] |
| March 6 | Tsutomu Shibayama | 84 | Director (Chibi Maruko-chan, Doraemon series) | [40] |
| March 9 | Yukie Maeda | 52 | Voice actress (Kamichu!) | [41] |
| April 10 | Yohsuke Tamori | 74 | Original creator (Popolocrois) | [42] |
| April 14 | Kazuo Ebisawa | ?? | Background artist, art director (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, God Eater) | [43] |
| April 24 | Tatsuo Satō | 61 | Director (Soar High! Isami, Martian Successor Nadesico, Ninja Scroll: The Series) | [44] |
| May 6 | Kenji Ohba | 71 | Actor (Space Sheriff Gavan, Battle Fever J, Denshi Sentai Denjiman) | [45] |