Results of an AI investigation into the mystery of 'Why is Hisako Manda being searched in the Miyazaki Prefecture category of the Yahoo! Search Awards 2025?' as featured on 'Monday kara Yofukashi'
On the 3rd, LY Corporation announced the 'Yahoo! Search Awards 2025.' This award recognizes individuals, works, and products that saw a sharp increase in search volume compared to the previous year, based on data collected from January 1 to November 1 of this year. However, a strange phenomenon was observed in the prefectural category. The trending search term for Miyazaki Prefecture was not Akari Takaishi (22), the local actress playing the heroine in the NHK serial TV drama 'Bakebake,' but for some reason, it was veteran actress Hisako Manda (67), who is from Osaka Prefecture. Why on earth? (omitted)
In the Kyushu and Okinawa regions, besides Manda, actor Yutaka Matsushige (62) saw a sharp increase in Nagasaki Prefecture. Although Matsushige himself is from Fukuoka Prefecture, it is said that his starring role in the movie 'Solitary Gourmet,' which is set in Goto City, Nagasaki Prefecture, is related to this.
Agency says 'no idea,' social media also focuses on the mysterious phenomenon
On the other hand, there was no explanation for why Manda became a trending search term. When Miyazaki Broadcasting (MRT), a TBS affiliate, interviewed her agency, the representative reportedly commented, 'I have no idea, and I'm sure she (Manda) has no idea either.'
Regarding this strange phenomenon where search volume spiked despite having no connection to Miyazaki Prefecture, confused reactions were posted one after another on X (formerly Twitter), such as 'Is it a mystery that Hisako Manda was the No. 1 search in Miyazaki Prefecture?', 'It's too funny that nobody knows the reason, not even the agency (lol)', and 'Why is that?! It's a mystery.' Local residents were also puzzled, with one saying, 'I'm a Miyazaki resident and I don't know either.'
I have investigated various things. The following is listed without separating the citation sources.
Result: According to Manus
A strong hypothesis: Confusion with palliative care physician 'Rokuhei Manda'
As a result of the investigation, it was found that it is highly likely that the person who attracted significant attention in Miyazaki Prefecture in 2025 was not actress Hisako Manda, but palliative care physician Rokuhei Manda.
It was found that there is a high possibility that this is the basis for the confusion.
• Movie screenings and lecture activities: In 2025, the documentary film 'Happy End,' which followed the activities of Rokuhei Manda, was released nationwide, and screenings were held in Miyazaki Prefecture at venues such as the Miyazaki Kinema-kan.
• High interest within Miyazaki Prefecture: In Miyazaki Prefecture, organizations such as 'Home Hospice Miyazaki' took the lead in actively holding lectures and screenings featuring Rokuhei Manda. It is thought that the name 'Dr. Manda' was frequently searched for, especially among those with a high interest in end-of-life care and home care.
• Similarity of names: Due to the rare surname 'Manda,' when entering 'Manda' during a search, the more famous 'Hisako Manda' may have appeared in predictive text or search results, leading to clicks, or searches may have been derived from the misunderstanding that she was a relative of Hisako Manda.
According to Grok, similarity of names: 'Manda' is a rare surname (about 1,000 people nationwide). As for the reading, Dr. Manda is 'Manda Rokuhei' and Hisako is 'Manda Hisako.' When entering 'Manda' in Yahoo! Search, both are easily mixed in predictive text (with the more famous Hisako appearing higher). It is assumed that there were cases where people clicked on Hisako after trying to look up 'Dr. Manda' after watching the movie.
I had Gemini look into Google searches.
**'Dr. Rokuhei Manda'** becomes a topic among welfare and medical professionals in Miyazaki Prefecture and their families.
When searching, **'Hisako Manda'** is searched for as a set (or as a substitute) due to the predictive text mechanism.
Added to this is the interest in the 'real Hisako Manda' due to the aforementioned 'Coneco Film (SNS) Vol. 350 "Hisako Manda" tie-up' and 'Best Hair.'
https://www.tiktok.com/@coneco_film_/video/7551370509095652615
It can be said that this **'earnest search from the medical field' and 'search for entertainment/beauty' converging on the surname 'Manda'** is the true nature of what created the unusual figures in Miyazaki Prefecture in 2025.
I had Grok look into X searches.
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Evidence on X: In searches for the specified period (Jan-Nov 2025), no direct posts of confusion were confirmed (No results found). However, movie-related posts (e.g., screening reports, impressions) and other Manda-related content (including Hisako) were seen here and there, suggesting potential confusion. Example: A post with impressions of the movie mentioning 'Dr. Manda's way of life.'
instagram.com +1
Possibility assessment: ★★★★☆ (High). It makes sense that Hisako's search volume surged due to name confusion while the movie screening attracted attention in Miyazaki and interest in end-of-life care was high. Combining this with other hypotheses (e.g., morning drama confusion, TikTok drama) increases the explanatory power further. The reason the Yahoo! representative says they 'don't know' is because such localized confusion is difficult to see in the data.
Manus's conclusion
It is speculated that the primary reason for the sharp rise in searches for Hisako Manda in Miyazaki Prefecture is that palliative care physician Ryokuhei Manda, who was actively working and being featured within Miyazaki Prefecture, was confused by search engines and users with the more famous actor Hisako Manda, who shares the same surname.
Gemini's Conclusion
It is speculated that the primary reason for the sharp rise in searches for Hisako Manda in Miyazaki Prefecture is that palliative care physician Ryokuhei Manda, who was actively working and being featured within Miyazaki Prefecture, was confused by search engines and users with the more famous actor Hisako Manda, who shares the same surname.
Evidence
The above information from X + the following information (Google Search)
When I asked Gemini, 'If it's number one in Yahoo! searches, shouldn't it also appear in Google Trends?', the answer was that Google Trends does not display results if the 'keyword' is too weak.
According to Gemini, Google Trends will display 'No data' if there isn't a certain absolute number (search volume). In the case of a sharp rise in a limited area like Miyazaki Prefecture, even if the Yahoo! system detects it, it is often ignored as a 'minor fluctuation' by the broad filters of Google Trends.
Differences between 'Yahoo! Search' and 'Google Trends'
User demographics: While Google is widely used by all generations in Japan, data shows that Yahoo! has a relatively higher usage rate among the **'40s to 60s and older' demographic**. It is possible that Hisako Manda's fan base and generations sensitive to beauty and health repeatedly searched on Yahoo!, resulting in it appearing as a 'sharp rise' unique to Yahoo!.
Definition of a sharp rise: The 'Prefecture Category' of the Yahoo! Search Awards emphasizes the growth rate (rate of change) of **'how much the number of searches has increased compared to the previous year'** in that prefecture. If the original number of searches was low andit suddenly increases at one point, it is detected as a 'sharp rise' within that prefecture alone, even if it does not become a nationwide trend (← This is likely it.Hisako Manda was displayed in the suggestions when searching for Ryokuhei Manda, leading to clicks. This caused a temporary sharp rise. Verifying the trends on X shows the timing matches. Furthermore, it was boosted by searches for the video where she won the 'Best Hair 2025' 60s category award. Also, according to Glock, TikTok videos by Koneko Film also provided a boost in terms of beauty ← This is unconfirmed).
Summary
Aftermath of the documentary film 'Happy☆End': A film following the activities of Ryokuhei Manda was released between 2024 and 2025.
In Miyazaki Prefecture, screening events were planned by local welfare organizations and volunteers, centered around the 'Miyazaki Kinema-kan'. This went beyond just being a 'movie' and became a major movement as a local issue. When 'Manda' was typed into the search bar, the overwhelmingly famous **'Hisako Manda'** appeared at the top of the search engine's suggestions (predictive text), and the AI speculates that this led to it entering the Yahoo! sharp rise trend compared to last year.
(Due to the rarity of the surname 'Manda') Manda = Hisako Manda is displayed as number one.
As a result, it is counted in the data as search volume for 'Hisako Manda'.
There is a high possibility that it was also searched because it became a hot topic in the video where she won the 'Best Hair 2025' 60s category award.
For that reason, the conclusion was reached that 'people in Miyazaki searched for Hisako Manda, and it entered the trends'.