# Niconico Scraper — Japan Video Search, Views & Tags (`logiover/niconico-video-scraper`) Actor

Scrape Niconico (nicovideo.jp), Japan's original video platform. Search by keyword or exact tag and extract view count, comment count, like count, mylist saves, length, genre, tags, uploader and channel IDs, publish date and thumbnail. Up to 100 videos per request. No API key.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/logiover/niconico-video-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Logiover](https://apify.com/logiover) (community)
- **Categories:** Social media, Videos
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $2.50 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

## Niconico Scraper — Japan Video Search, Views, Comments & Tags

Search Japan's original video platform by keyword or exact tag and pull view counts, comment counts, likes, mylist saves, genres, full tag lists and upload dates — 1.9 million videos deep on a single term.

### What does the Niconico Scraper do?

This Actor searches **Niconico** (nicovideo.jp), the video platform Japan built before YouTube arrived there and where a distinct culture still lives: comments scroll across the video, tags are edited collectively, and a song or meme's whole lineage is traceable through them. It reads Niconico's public snapshot search index, so no login and no key are involved.

Two search modes matter here. Keyword mode reads titles, descriptions and tags, and returns the loose, broad set you would expect. **Exact-tag mode** matches the tag as a whole — and on Niconico the tag is the unit of culture, so tag-exact search is what makes a dataset about a franchise, a producer or a fandom complete rather than approximate. Add a genre, a minimum view count or an upload-date window, choose a sort order, and the Actor pages through 100 videos per request writing one flat row each.

### Who is it for?

- **Music and anime rights holders** tracking how their catalogue circulates on Japan's own platform.
- **Trend and culture researchers** studying Vocaloid, doujin music, game commentary and meme lineage.
- **Marketing teams** measuring a Japanese campaign's reach outside YouTube and TikTok.
- **Data scientists** building Japanese-language video datasets with real engagement figures.
- **Journalists and academics** who need evidence about Japanese internet culture rather than anecdote.

### Use cases

- Pull every video tagged 初音ミク above a view threshold and rank producers by total views.
- Track how a new song's tag spreads week by week after release using the upload-date filter.
- Compare comment counts against view counts — Niconico's comment ratio is a far stronger engagement signal than likes.
- Build a genre-level view of what Japan is watching that YouTube data cannot show.
- Collect an artist's whole Niconico footprint including uploads by fans, via exact-tag mode.
- Feed an AI agent live Japanese video data so it can answer questions about current trends.

### Why use this Niconico Scraper?

- **Exact-tag search**, not just keyword — the precise way to collect a fandom, a franchise or a producer.
- **Real engagement metrics**: views, comments, likes and mylist saves, all on one row.
- **Millions of videos reachable** — a single common term matches over 1.9 million.
- **Filters that narrow properly**: genre, minimum views, and upload-date windows anchored to Japan time.
- **Keyless and login-free** — nothing to register, nothing to rotate.
- **Full tag list per video**, comma-separated and ready to explode into a tag graph.

### What data can you extract?

One row per video. Anything the source left blank comes back as `null`.

| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `videoId` | string | Niconico content ID, e.g. sm15630734 |
| `url` | string | Direct link to the video |
| `title` | string | Video title |
| `description` | string | Description with HTML stripped |
| `viewCount` | number | Total views |
| `commentCount` | number | Total comments — Niconico's strongest engagement signal |
| `likeCount` | number | Likes |
| `mylistCount` | number | Times saved to a user's mylist |
| `lengthSeconds` | number | Duration in seconds |
| `genre` | string | Niconico genre, e.g. 音楽・サウンド |
| `categoryTags` | string | Category tag such as VOCALOID |
| `tags` | string | Full tag list, comma-separated |
| `uploaderId` | number | Uploader's user ID |
| `uploaderUrl` | string | Link to the uploader's profile |
| `channelId` | number | Channel ID, for official channel uploads |
| `channelUrl` | string | Link to the channel |
| `publishedAt` | string | Upload timestamp in Japan time |
| `lastCommentAt` | string | Timestamp of the most recent comment |
| `thumbnailUrl` | string | Thumbnail image |
| `scrapedAt` | string | When this row was collected |

#### Sample output

```json
{
  "videoId": "sm15630734",
  "url": "https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm15630734",
  "title": "『初音ミク』千本桜『オリジナル曲PV』",
  "description": "「上弦の月」～音楽劇千本桜より～ 投稿しました→sm21360174 ★★★★★★★★★★2/11 一千万再生有難う御座います！！！！！！！！！！ 様々な作品と共に千本桜が成長する事を願って 今回は桜な曲をお届けし...",
  "viewCount": 18709712,
  "commentCount": 1582813,
  "likeCount": 43512,
  "mylistCount": 333538,
  "lengthSeconds": 244,
  "genre": "音楽・サウンド",
  "categoryTags": "VOCALOID",
  "tags": "VOCALOID, 初音ミク, 黒うさP, 三重の人, 千本桜（黒うさP）, 一斗まる, ミクオリジナル曲, VOCALOID和風曲, 初音ミク名曲リンク, 重要ニコニコ文化財, VOCALOID神話入り",
  "uploaderId": 449061,
  "uploaderUrl": "https://www.nicovideo.jp/user/449061",
  "channelId": null,
  "channelUrl": null,
  "publishedAt": "2011-09-17T19:00:28+09:00",
  "lastCommentAt": "2026-08-15T02:15:42+09:00",
  "thumbnailUrl": "https://nicovideo.cdn.nimg.jp/thumbnails/15630734/15630734.34480305",
  "scrapedAt": "2026-08-15T07:46:53.516Z"
}
```

### How to use the Niconico Scraper

#### Option A — a keyword sweep

Enter a term such as `音楽`, `ゲーム実況` or `vocaloid`, keep keyword mode, sort by most viewed, and set a result limit. This is the broad view.

#### Option B — an exact tag

Switch the mode to exact tag and enter a real Niconico tag such as `初音ミク` or `東方`. Only videos actually carrying that tag come back, which is what makes fandom-level datasets complete.

#### Option C — a release window

Set an upload-date range and sort by newest first to capture everything published in a period — useful for tracking a release, an event or a seasonal trend.

### Input parameters

| Input | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `query` | string | Keyword or exact tag to search for. Japanese and English both work, e.g. 音楽, 初音ミク, ゲーム実況, vocaloid. Default: `"音楽"`. |
| `searchMode` | string | Keyword searches titles, descriptions and tags. Exact tag matches the whole tag only, which is the precise way to collect a fandom or franchise. Default: `"keyword"`. |
| `genre` | string | Optional Niconico genre filter, written in Japanese, e.g. 音楽・サウンド, ゲーム, アニメ, エンターテイメント, 動物, 料理. |
| `minViews` | integer | Optional. Skip videos below this view count — useful for filtering an archive down to what actually got watched. |
| `publishedAfter` | string | Optional date, YYYY-MM-DD. Only videos uploaded on or after this day. |
| `publishedBefore` | string | Optional date, YYYY-MM-DD. Only videos uploaded on or before this day. |
| `sortBy` | string | Order the search results before collecting them. Default: `"-viewCounter"`. |
| `maxResults` | integer | Stop after this many videos. Each request returns 100. Default: `500`. |
| `proxyConfiguration` | object | Residential proxy pinned to Japan. The snapshot index is public, but a Japanese exit is the most reliable. |

### Tips for best results

- Exact-tag mode needs a real tag. If a tag returns nothing, switch to keyword mode to find how the community actually spells it, then go back.
- `commentCount` relative to `viewCount` is the metric Niconico veterans read; a 1:10 ratio is extraordinary anywhere else.
- Set a minimum view count to strip the long tail out of an archive-scale query.
- Dates are anchored to Japan time (UTC+9) automatically, so a plain `2026-01-01` behaves as a Japanese calendar day.
- `channelId` is filled for official channel uploads — around 80% of anime results and almost none of the game-commentary ones.

### Integrations

Connect this Actor to Make, Zapier, n8n, Slack, Google Sheets, GitHub, Airtable or any HTTP endpoint through Apify integrations. Every finished run can push its dataset straight into your warehouse, or fire a webhook so a downstream job starts the moment the data lands.

### API usage

Run the Actor from your own code with the Apify API. Datasets can be exported as JSON, CSV, Excel, XML, RSS or HTML, and every run is available through the [Apify API reference](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2).

```bash
curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/logiover~niconico-video-scraper/runs?token=YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"input": {"query": "初音ミク", "searchMode": "tag", "minViews": 1000, "sortBy": "-viewCounter", "maxResults": 1000, "proxyConfiguration": {"useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"], "apifyProxyCountry": "JP"}}}'
```

Python, JavaScript, PHP and CLI clients are documented under [Apify API clients](https://docs.apify.com/api/client).

### Use with AI agents (MCP)

This Actor is callable from any MCP-compatible client — Claude, Cursor, VS Code or your own agent — through the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp). An agent can call it to answer live questions about Japanese video trends, view counts and tag culture on Niconico instead of guessing from stale training data.

### FAQ

#### Do I need a Niconico account or API key?

No. The Actor reads Niconico's public snapshot search index, which needs neither.

#### What is the difference between keyword and exact-tag mode?

Keyword mode searches titles, descriptions and tags and returns anything related. Exact-tag mode matches only videos carrying that exact tag. For a franchise or a fandom, exact-tag is the one that gives you a complete set.

#### How many videos can one run return?

A common Japanese term matches millions — 音楽 alone returns over 1.9 million. The practical limit is the result cap you set.

#### Can I search in English?

Yes, English terms work, but Niconico is a Japanese platform and Japanese terms return far more. `vocaloid` works; `ボーカロイド` and `初音ミク` work better.

#### Does it download the videos?

No. It collects metadata and engagement figures, plus the thumbnail URL. No video files are downloaded.

#### Why is `likeCount` sometimes zero on very old videos?

Likes were added to Niconico long after it launched. A 2009 video can have millions of views, hundreds of thousands of comments and comparatively few likes.

#### Why did my run return zero videos?

In exact-tag mode, the tag probably does not exist as written. Check it in keyword mode first.

#### Can I filter by uploader?

Not directly, but every row carries `uploaderId` and `uploaderUrl`, so filtering the output by uploader after the run works well.

#### Can I export to CSV or Excel?

Yes. Every run's dataset exports as JSON, CSV, Excel, XML, RSS or HTML from the Storage tab, the API, or automatically through an integration.

#### How fresh is the data?

Every run reads the site live at that moment, so the data is as fresh as the site itself. Schedule the Actor hourly, daily or weekly to build a time series.

#### How often is the Actor updated?

It is monitored and fixed when the site changes its markup or its endpoints. Report anything that looks wrong through the Issues tab and it gets picked up.

### Is it legal to scrape Niconico?

This Actor collects only publicly available information — the same pages any visitor can open without logging in. It does not bypass a login, and it does not touch private or personal accounts. Public data collection is legal in most jurisdictions, but how you *use* the data is your responsibility: if any record contains personal data, GDPR and comparable laws still apply, and you need a lawful basis for processing it. When in doubt, take legal advice. See Apify's [ethical web scraping](https://blog.apify.com/what-is-ethical-web-scraping-and-how-do-you-do-it/) guide.

### Related scrapers

- [YouTube Search Scraper](https://apify.com/logiover/youtube-search-scraper) — YouTube search results and metrics.
- [TikTok Hashtag Scraper](https://apify.com/logiover/tiktok-hashtag-video-scraper) — TikTok videos by hashtag.
- [Twitch Scraper](https://apify.com/logiover/twitch-scraper) — live streaming data.
- [MyAnimeList Scraper](https://apify.com/logiover/mal-anime-scraper) — anime titles, scores and rankings.
- [Mercari Japan Scraper](https://apify.com/logiover/mercari-japan-scraper) — Japanese marketplace listings.

# Actor input Schema

## `query` (type: `string`):

Keyword or exact tag to search for. Japanese and English both work, e.g. 音楽, 初音ミク, ゲーム実況, vocaloid.

## `searchMode` (type: `string`):

Keyword searches titles, descriptions and tags. Exact tag matches the whole tag only, which is the precise way to collect a fandom or franchise.

## `genre` (type: `string`):

Optional Niconico genre filter, written in Japanese, e.g. 音楽・サウンド, ゲーム, アニメ, エンターテイメント, 動物, 料理.

## `minViews` (type: `integer`):

Optional. Skip videos below this view count — useful for filtering an archive down to what actually got watched.

## `publishedAfter` (type: `string`):

Optional date, YYYY-MM-DD. Only videos uploaded on or after this day.

## `publishedBefore` (type: `string`):

Optional date, YYYY-MM-DD. Only videos uploaded on or before this day.

## `sortBy` (type: `string`):

Order the search results before collecting them.

## `maxResults` (type: `integer`):

Stop after this many videos. Each request returns 100.

## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):

Residential proxy pinned to Japan. The snapshot index is public, but a Japanese exit is the most reliable.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "query": "音楽",
  "searchMode": "keyword",
  "genre": "ゲーム",
  "publishedAfter": "2026-01-01",
  "publishedBefore": "2026-06-30",
  "sortBy": "-viewCounter",
  "maxResults": 500,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": [
      "RESIDENTIAL"
    ],
    "apifyProxyCountry": "JP"
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

Every record collected in this run. Open the Dataset tab to browse, filter or export as JSON, CSV or Excel.

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "query": "音楽",
    "searchMode": "keyword",
    "sortBy": "-viewCounter",
    "maxResults": 500,
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": true,
        "apifyProxyGroups": [
            "RESIDENTIAL"
        ],
        "apifyProxyCountry": "JP"
    }
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("logiover/niconico-video-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "query": "音楽",
    "searchMode": "keyword",
    "sortBy": "-viewCounter",
    "maxResults": 500,
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": True,
        "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"],
        "apifyProxyCountry": "JP",
    },
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("logiover/niconico-video-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "query": "音楽",
  "searchMode": "keyword",
  "sortBy": "-viewCounter",
  "maxResults": 500,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": [
      "RESIDENTIAL"
    ],
    "apifyProxyCountry": "JP"
  }
}' |
apify call logiover/niconico-video-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,logiover/niconico-video-scraper"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/1bcdI1APfjTi3wgmq/builds/xpfeooXKFtExQ1UkY/openapi.json