The fourth season of the survival show PRODUCE 101 JAPAN SHINSEKAI , featuring artists JO1, INI, and ME:I, will be available for free viewing starting in March 2026 exclusively on the Lemino streaming service. The show will culminate with the debut of a 12-member international boy group, whose members will be selected by votes from Japanese viewers (produced by Kokumin) and, for the first time in the show's history, viewers from around the world (produced by SEKAI).
One of the main differences between this season and the previous three is the global audition format. Everyone is eligible to apply, regardless of nationality or place of birth (with the exception of a small number of regions). In addition to attracting trainees from all over the world, the show is broadcast globally via the global K-pop platform Mnet Plus, allowing voting from anywhere. The show's host, trainee representative, and producer of KOKUMIN is Dean Fujioka. This season, he is joined for the first time by Choi Soo-yeon (of Girls' Generation), a representative of the production company SEKAI. Votes from KOKUMIN producers in Japan and SEKAI producers from other countries are combined to create a boy band with a more international perspective. Plans are already underway for the group to debut simultaneously in Korea and Japan.
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In each of the previous seasons of the show PRODUCE 101 JAPAN 101 trainees participated, 11 of whom later became members of the debut cast. However, in the first episode of the new season, it was announced that 22 new trainees from around the world had been added, bringing the total to 123. Of these, 12 would be chosen to debut. A surprising twist, unlike previous seasons, was that the contestants started not as trainees, but as trainee candidates. They were suddenly forced to take a level-up test, so struggle and drama ensued from the very beginning.
This season has already seen several highlights. Episode 6 featured the first half of "POSITION BATTLE: OPEN ROUND." After the results of the first round were announced, the remaining 50 contestants were divided into nine teams to compete. In previous rounds, contestants could choose their areas of specialization, such as vocals, dance, or rap. But as Dean Fujioka explained, "Today, the boundaries between vocals, dance, and rap have blurred. We live in an era of generalists, where people aren't limited by the idea of fixed positions." This time, the battle utilized an "OPEN ROUND" approach. Contestants were judged on their ability to independently create music, including song arrangement and structure. It was a shining example of how the show has shifted its judging approach to create a global boy band for the modern era.
Nine teams competed, each with its own song, and the top two trainees and the top trainee for each of the nine songs in a group battle were chosen as the leaders. A particularly dramatic scene unfolded for the team PUNCH LINERS, whose leader, Ryuji (Ryuji Sugiyama), chose INI's "DOMINANCE." O.Yusei (Yusei Obasi), chosen as the main rapper, was delighted, saying, "I've rarely been in the spotlight in my life, so I'm going to give it a try." After listening to advice from INI members Rihito Ikezaki, Hiroto Nishi, and Jin Matsuda, he seemed pleased, but after hearing Yu.Shu (Shu Yamashita) rap, he asked to switch places with the main rapper, saying, "I think he'd be a better main rapper than me." His team members cheered him on, saying, "You've taken center stage, now you need to go out there and show off your best side." O.YUSEI, disgusted with himself, burst into tears, saying, "That was so awful..." His bond with fellow rapper Y.SHU grew even stronger, and then in the main event, he boldly took the stage, delivering a confident performance as the main rapper and turning the tide, winning first place on his team in the voting. Y.SHU placed second, and the strength of their bond was clear to everyone watching.
Episode 7 featured the second half of the "POSITION BATTLE: OPEN ROUND" and the announcement of the results. Team "Nature Self" was chosen by a vote among the participants as the most outstanding. Team Nature Self was led by Chisato (Chisato Kobayashi), who chose the song "Natural" by Imagine Dragons.
During the first part of rehearsal, Ryota Ishida and Chisato shared choreography duties, but dance coach Kaita said he felt a lack of teamwork. "Were you two coordinating? I realized the choreography was being done by two different people. It felt disjointed." Everyone gathered together, and Ryota and the other members discussed each other's strengths. They reaffirmed the importance of teamwork and strengthened their sense of cohesion. Meanwhile, Yura Abe, unanimously chosen as the lead dancer, looked dejected, saying, "I just couldn't be happier about being chosen as the center." He was reeling from his defeat in the previous group battle. "Being in the center means a lot of pressure. Even now, I have mixed feelings about it." Chisato tried to encourage him, saying, "I want you to go out there and put your heart and soul into it. I created your choreography with that in mind," but Yura's expression remained clouded. Siyeon (Park Siyeon), a member of another team, criticized him, saying, "We didn't see your expression," which only made matters worse for Yura. Dance coach Rino Nakasone said, "You don't look like the center. You need to be more honest with yourself. Give it your all." With tears in his eyes, Yura admitted, "Ever since I became the center, I've been constantly doubting myself." Nakasone continued, "The song 'Natural' is about not giving in to pressure. Don't keep everything to yourself; there are many people around you you can turn to." After telling him he had to embody the song's message and advising him to rely on his fellow trainees, the other members hugged him. This scene clearly demonstrated that it's not just about vocal and dancing ability. A deep understanding of music is also essential.
In the main event, the entire team delivered a powerful and magnificent performance. They seemed to truly blossom, and their performance of "Nature Self" was met with thunderous applause. The decision to choose them as the best team was clear. Kotaro (Kotaro Asaka) was chosen as the team's number one, and Yura finished third. Kotaro admitted he had held immense respect for Yura since his first visit to Korea and thanked him. Yura also spoke about his personal growth, saying the experience had given him confidence.
PRODUCE 101 JAPAN SHINSEKAI — is the show where such wonderful scenes are born. One of the main features of this selection show is not only the ranking of participants by voting, but also the support of the interns in their development. Tomorrow, your own vote could play a decisive role in the interns' significant personal growth.
– This article by Kaori Komatsu first appeared on Billboard Japan.
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