K-Pop Hallyu Wave in Japan, From Ordinary People to Celebrities

When it comes to 'Hallyu' we think of Japanese women, or aunts. Bae Yong Jun's role in the drama, "Winter Sonata" brought about a new level of hallyu to Japan. Starting last year, the K-Pop Hallyu wave began, making not only ordinary women, but celebrities become fans of K-Pop.

Japanese gag man Gekidan Hitori was a fan of girl group KARA even before their debut. At that time, he was seen on variety shows personally handing out KARA cd's and advertising them. A year later in 2010, he finally met KARA and is still a fan of KARA today.

Hitori was seen at KARA's 1st Japan Concert in April. Many celebrities receive free tickets from their management, but Hitori rejected their offer and personally paid for his own ticket to support KARA. 

Japanese actress Ashida Mana saw KARA's performance and stood up from her seat and followed their dance. Watabe Atsuro found out while filming in Korea that KARA's entertainment agency was nearby and spent many hours at a nearby cafe hoping to catch them.

Japanese girl group AKB48 member Maeda Atsuko sends text messages with KARA's Nicole.

On one tv program, SMAP member Nakai Masahiro danced to Girls' Generation's songs, "Gee", "Mister Taxi" and others. Many Japanese celebrities also chose Yoona as their ideal women. 

Many other famous stars in Japan have fallen for K-Pop stars such as 2PM and TVXQ. They are seen at their concerts showing their love for them.

Gag men Takahashi Shigeo, who is currently dating a korean model, commented on how his wish is to be a guest on KBS "Strong Heart." He was given an offer, but had to reject because of his hectic schedule. He also commented that it would be such an honor to come on the show one day.