For the first time, a J-pop music festival featuring Japanese idol groups will be held in Korea. Running from Nov 8-10 at the Korea International Exhibition Center (KINTEX) in Ilsanseo-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, the event will showcase 17 groups, including AKB48 and ATARASHII GAKKO!. Despite only a few acts being announced when tickets went on sale on July 30, they sold out in just five minutes.
While K-pop has long dominated the Japanese music scene, J-pop is now making inroads into Korea. The cultural barriers between the two nations have effectively dissolved, with younger generations expressing genuine interest and curiosity in each other’s culture. For instance, the Korean girl group NewJeans recently drew around 90,000 fans over two days at the Tokyo Dome. This growing interest in J-pop within Korea’s music market reflects a shift in cultural exchange, less influenced by political tensions. Cultural critic Lee Moon-won noted that younger Koreans and Japanese are less concerned with historical issues, stating that “political tensions are now less likely to impact cultural exchanges.”
In a significant move, the seven-member boy group Naniwa Danshi, managed by Japan’s largest entertainment agency, Johnny’s (now STARTO ENTERTAINMENT), will hold a solo concert on Jan 11-12 next year at INSPIRE Arena in Incheon. This concert is expected to set a new record for the largest J-pop concert audience in Korea, potentially surpassing the previous record set by Arashi in 2008, who drew 30,000 fans over four performances in two days.
Korea has long been seen as a challenging market for J-pop. Although the Kim Dae-jung administration began opening up to Japanese culture in 1998, and full cultural openness was achieved in 2004, Japanese music remained largely absent from domestic broadcasts. However, with the rise of platforms like YouTube, OTT, and music streaming services, listeners now have more freedom to explore music from Japan, leading to the emergence of a self-sustaining J-pop fandom in Korea. Music critic Lim Hee-yun observed, “In the past, opportunities to encounter Japanese music in Korea were limited, but with social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube, the boundaries in music have rapidly faded.”
Some Japanese artists, such as Ai Tomioka, gained popularity in Korea before becoming well-known in Japan. Ai Tomioka, whose song “Good Bye Bye” went viral on social media, is set to perform on Sep 21-22 at Musinsa Garage in Seoul, a venue with a capacity of 500 seats. Additionally, J-pop artists who have provided theme songs for popular anime on OTT platforms, such as Official HIGE DANdism, Yoasobi, and Ado, are increasingly performing in Korea.
The rise of J-pop’s popularity in Korea is also evident in the domestic music market. Genie Music, a leading Korean music platform, reported a 93% increase in J-pop streams compared to the previous year. Among ten music genres, J-pop accounted for 1.2% of total plays, surpassing jazz (0.6%) and classical music (0.7%). This marks significant growth from 2018, when J-pop made up just 0.4% of streams. Similarly, Spotify revealed that J-pop streams among Korean users grew by 40% in July compared to the same period last year. A 29-year-old J-pop fan noted, “A few years ago, listening to Japanese music would get you teased as an ‘otaku,’ but now it’s almost surreal to hear J-pop songs playing on the streets.”
Korean concert planners are also embracing J-pop’s entry into the market. A representative from a major concert planning company highlighted that bringing Japanese bands to Korea is more cost-effective than inviting groups from English-speaking countries due to shorter travel distances. Furthermore, the diverse range of Japanese acts, capable of drawing audiences from 500 to 10,000 people, offers something different from the perfectly synchronized performances of K-pop idols. “Japanese idols provide more approachable, entertainment-like performances, which seems to be building a dedicated fan base,” the representative said.
J-pop is increasingly viewing Korea as a vital step before entering the global market. Pop music critic Hwang Sun-up explained that Japan, which once overlooked Korea due to its lucrative domestic market, has shifted its perspective. “Now, performing in Korea is seen as a sign of significant popularity, influencing J-pop’s decision to hold concerts here,” he added.
