The halcyon days of Hallyu (the Korean wave) in mainstream media are long over, but the impact South Korean pop culture has had on Japan is still evident. Just look at K-pop outfit Twice, which features three Japanese members and has experienced massive success after debuting late last year.
"I originally liked idol music, but my best friend introduced K-pop to me in junior high school," Mina Myoui says over email. "We did cover dances together, lots of Girls' Generation routines." Fellow Japanese member Momo Hirai was influenced even earlier. "My mom likes the singer Rain; that was the start for me."
The two, along with Sana Minatozaki, will join six other women when Twice plays its first Japan show at this weekend's KCon alongside such K-pop heavyweights as 2PM and Block B. The gathering — which celebrates "K-pop, K-food, K-beauty and K-drama"— shows that even though Korean culture no longer monopolizes TV coverage like it did in 2010, it still has a massive following in this country. And it means extra to the three Japanese members of Twice.