(まいんちゃん) The story behind this trend in Social Media today
02-10-2026
“まいんちゃん” is the long-standing nickname of Japanese actress Haruka Fukuhara (福原遥). It comes from the character she played as a child, Hiiragi Main (柊まいん), the lead of the NHK E-tele children’s cooking and food-education show Cookin’ Idol I! My! Main! (クッキンアイドル アイ！マイ！まいん！), which aired from 2009 to 2013.On the show she was an elementary-school girl who wanted to become an idol and cooked roughly 200 recipes over about four years. The character’s name stuck as her personal nickname; she has said in interviews that she likes being called まいんちゃん because it means people still remember her. The name has trended on social media many times since, usually when she appears on television and viewers react with nostalgia about how much she has grown.The reason it is trending today is a sudden marriage announcement. On October 2, 2026, Fukuhara (28) and Japan national-team midfielder Takefusa Kubo (久保建英, 25, Real Sociedad) posted matching statements on social media saying they had married. The joint message said both had been supported by many people since childhood, that they still feel inexperienced, and that they want to help each other and build a warm home full of smiles. Reports said there had been no prior dating coverage, so the news was treated as a surprise “lightning” wedding. Comments online mixed shock with nostalgia“まいんちゃん got married,” memories of watching the cooking show as kids, and congratulations. Related terms such as Kubo’s name and “sudden announcement” also rose with it.