https://s.inside-games.jp/article/2020/02/26/127623.html
Over 3000 votes.
85.7% male, 8.3% female, 5% no answer.
10's 54.7%, 20's 32%, 30's 6%, 40's 1%, 50's 0.5%, no answer 4.7%.
15. Geno 26 votes
14. Goku 32 votes
13. Reimu 42 votes
12. Kirito 50 votes
11. Saber 52 votes
10. Steve 55 votes
9. Arle 56 votes
8. Sephiroth 59 votes
7. Bandana Dee 64 votes
6. Crash 65 votes
5. 2B 70 votes
4. Rex 74 votes
3. Hunter 80 votes
2. Dante 92 votes
1. Sora 290 votes
The poll is nice to get a decent idea about what's popular in the JP side; even though I wouldn't put huge stock into it. I expected Sora to be 1st, but even I'm surprised by how much of a gap there is between Sora and Dante.
Rex and Hunter being high on the list was expected, but I wouldn't have expected them to do so well. MH makes sense due to it being MASSIVE in JP; and I've heard XC 2 was more positively received in JP comparatively to the West.
People keep on forgetting that Saber and Kirito are HUGE in JP (even if one of them shouldn't ever be in Smash). Pretty much everyone knows about them, and they are still from highly active franchises.
I would think that Reimu would have done a little better. But everyone else is from much more massive series/series that are easier to work with getting into Smash.
Feels bad about Geno placing 15th. But he's a pretty divisive character in the West, and I expect that to be even more true in JP. But still sucks seeing "illegible" characters like Goku and Kirito being in front of him.
Surprised at the lack of a Tales character showing up, but I suppose that's the case when you have no obvious frontrunner in the east. West is more Lloyd favored; but I'm unsure about the east (willing to bet Lloyd/Yuri/Velvet are all requested).