If the South Korean wave has hit the Japanese entertainment industry, the Japanese wave has hit the South Korean dining scene.
From neon hiragana signs and cozy ramen restaurants to backstreet izakaya taverns, Seoul's street scene signals South Koreans' increasing familiarity with Japanese cuisine.
According to Statistics Korea (KOSTAT), part of South Korea's Ministry of Strategy and Finance, the number of Japanese restaurants in South Korea increased from 7,466 in 2013 to 11,714 in 2017, the largest growth among international restaurants in the nation during this period. Changing trends in travel, consumption and even business are driving up the popularity of Japanese cuisine.