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Japanese Middle-aged Women and the Hanryu Phenomenon
Journal article   Open access

Japanese Middle-aged Women and the Hanryu Phenomenon

Atsushi Takeda
Electronic Journal of Contemporary Japanese Studies, Vol.Discussion Paper 3
2011
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Abstract

Cultural Studies Hanryu Korean culture Japan akogare longing
This article evaluates the Korean cultural boom in Japan, particularly the popularity of Korean soap operas, which has initiated a cultural flow between the two countries. This phenomenon is unique in two respects. First, owing to the post-colonial relationship between Korea and Japan, the interplay between the two had been limited and their relationship was rather complex and sensitive. In terms of cultural exchange, Japanese people have never previously indicated a strong interest in Asian popular culture even though Hong Kong movie and pop stars had gained some popularity in Japan during the 1990s. Instead, Japanese have been interested in western popular culture, predominantly that of the US, including Hollywood movies, American television programs and music. The current popularity of Korean culture, therefore, is unprecedented. Second, middle-aged Japanese women, who previously did not actively consume popular culture in Japan, originally fuelled this Korean cultural boom. Their admiration for Korean dramas as well as the country's actors is further extended to a positive image of Korean men. Middle-aged Japanese women have created non-political, grassroots connections with Korea that politics and economics could not fully achieve.

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