Thousands of Japanese protestors gathered in Tokyo last month, but they weren't rallying against nuclear power, the country's revolving-door Prime Minister position, or the long-stagnant economy. Their wrath, rather, was directed at soap operas. In late July, Japanese actor Sousuke Takaoka was fired from his promotion agency after criticizing the Fuji TV network on Twitter for airing so many Korean programs that he felt "brainwashed." By August 21, a reported 6,000 people had gathered outside of Fuji TV's headquarters, carrying Japanese flags and shouting "No more Korean wave."
In Japan—a country that has prided itself on producing and exporting its own fantastical pop culture—Korean entertainment has come to gobble up massive portions of melodrama and musical market share. Not only do Korean dramas air frequently on TV, but in the past year Korean pop groups like Girls' Generation and KARA have shattered sales records and become primetime fixtures on Japanese television programs, thanks to a mish-mash of Western club-friendly and a sped-up tempo appropriate for an arcade. This boom in Korean entertainment isn't just about units moved or appearances on talk shows; Korean media, especially pop music, has exploded in the Land of the Rising Sun because the K-Pop architects have embraced everything that the Japanese music industry has shunned for years.