Korean Wave rekindled in Japan despite diplomatic row
- 5 years ago
경직된 외교 속 여전히 후끈거리는 일본의 한류 바람
Relations between South Korea and Japan are at low ebb right now.
But Korean culture is big in Japan movies, music, you name it.
Our Won Jung-hwan, in Tokyo, takes a look at how the Korean Wave is enjoying another boom just across the East Sea.
In Japan, young people in their teens and 20s are leading the new Korean wave,… a trend that experts are calling the third-generation Hallyu.
The first Korean boom was in the early 2000s when television dramas were a hit among middle-aged Japanese women. The second wave, around 2010, saw Korean idol groups such as Girls' Generation gain popularity,… and this current third boom is much broader in its scope, bringing in Korean food and other aspects of Korean culture.
It is easy to spot these trends in Shin-Okubo, a Korean town in Tokyo.
A line of young Japanese customers wait excitedly for their turn to try Korean dishes such as cheese dak-galbi, a spicy mix of chicken and vegetables.
Stands dotting the main streets and back alleys around Shin-Okubo Station offer other dishes and street food like Korean-style hot dogs.
Rather than worry about the politics between Seoul and Tokyo, these hallyu fans just want to experience and enjoy Korean culture itself.
"I don't know exactly as I haven't been to Korea yet,... but I don't feel such tension between the two when I am here in Japan."
And as well as consume Korean popular culture, some want to actively participate in the culture too.
At this dance academy in Tokyo, around 20 Japanese kids learn K-pop dance routines,… dreaming of becoming a K-pop star in the future.
This 15-year-old, who visited the studio to sign up for the first time, says she decided to learn more as the dance moves are beautiful compared to others.
"There are many friends in my class who like to dance along to K-pop songs during break times,... I have signed up for only one class a week as I am a beginner, but I will come more often later"
Korean musicians such as TWICE are regarded as a "safe culture" for all generations in Japan. And that's why parents give their permission for their kids to sign up for the classes.
"But it's not just those k-pop idol hopefuls who would like to learn about the k-wave's secret,... these Japanese people are here to learn the secret taste of Korea."
This enthusiastic group are boiling soybeans and mashing them to make bricks called meju.
Jang Damgeugi, a traditional Korean process of making fermented soybean paste or sauce, is now being passed down to regular Japanese citizens.
From K-pop to traditional recipes,… Korean cultural products are improving Japanese people's perceptions of South Korea. And with the latest Korean Wave in Japan revolving around teens and young people, it is likely to keep gaining steam.
Won Jung-hwan, Arirang News, Tokyo.
Relations between South Korea and Japan are at low ebb right now.
But Korean culture is big in Japan movies, music, you name it.
Our Won Jung-hwan, in Tokyo, takes a look at how the Korean Wave is enjoying another boom just across the East Sea.
In Japan, young people in their teens and 20s are leading the new Korean wave,… a trend that experts are calling the third-generation Hallyu.
The first Korean boom was in the early 2000s when television dramas were a hit among middle-aged Japanese women. The second wave, around 2010, saw Korean idol groups such as Girls' Generation gain popularity,… and this current third boom is much broader in its scope, bringing in Korean food and other aspects of Korean culture.
It is easy to spot these trends in Shin-Okubo, a Korean town in Tokyo.
A line of young Japanese customers wait excitedly for their turn to try Korean dishes such as cheese dak-galbi, a spicy mix of chicken and vegetables.
Stands dotting the main streets and back alleys around Shin-Okubo Station offer other dishes and street food like Korean-style hot dogs.
Rather than worry about the politics between Seoul and Tokyo, these hallyu fans just want to experience and enjoy Korean culture itself.
"I don't know exactly as I haven't been to Korea yet,... but I don't feel such tension between the two when I am here in Japan."
And as well as consume Korean popular culture, some want to actively participate in the culture too.
At this dance academy in Tokyo, around 20 Japanese kids learn K-pop dance routines,… dreaming of becoming a K-pop star in the future.
This 15-year-old, who visited the studio to sign up for the first time, says she decided to learn more as the dance moves are beautiful compared to others.
"There are many friends in my class who like to dance along to K-pop songs during break times,... I have signed up for only one class a week as I am a beginner, but I will come more often later"
Korean musicians such as TWICE are regarded as a "safe culture" for all generations in Japan. And that's why parents give their permission for their kids to sign up for the classes.
"But it's not just those k-pop idol hopefuls who would like to learn about the k-wave's secret,... these Japanese people are here to learn the secret taste of Korea."
This enthusiastic group are boiling soybeans and mashing them to make bricks called meju.
Jang Damgeugi, a traditional Korean process of making fermented soybean paste or sauce, is now being passed down to regular Japanese citizens.
From K-pop to traditional recipes,… Korean cultural products are improving Japanese people's perceptions of South Korea. And with the latest Korean Wave in Japan revolving around teens and young people, it is likely to keep gaining steam.
Won Jung-hwan, Arirang News, Tokyo.