Survey Results from Japanese Fashion Platform
76% of Japanese Women Follow K-pop Korean Fashion
Women in Their 10s to 40s and Over 60s Choose 'Korea' as a Fashion Reference Country
Seven out of ten teenage girls in Japan chose Korea as the "country they refer to for fashion." On the 15th, Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported, "According to a survey conducted by the Japanese fashion platform Rakuten Rakuma on 'countries referred to for fashion,' women in their teens to 40s and those over 60 selected 'Korea'." In the survey, 75.9% of teenage girls chose Korea as number one last year, marking the eighth consecutive year since 2016 that Korea has held the top spot. In contrast, the United States, which ranked second, accounted for only 8% last year.
The reason for the popularity of Korean fashion was attributed to "K-pop singers." When K-pop idols wear fashion items, there is a tendency to imitate them, and items that have gained word-of-mouth on Korean social networking services (SNS) are considered already verified, making it relatively easy for consumers to open their wallets. A professor well-versed in Korean culture told the media, "If you become an idol in Korea, success on the global stage is guaranteed, and the same structure applies to the popularity of products."
Recently in Japan, "square metal frame glasses" worn by many K-pop idols have been reported to be gaining popularity. An eyewear store in Shibuya, Tokyo, said inquiries about square metal frame glasses surged from February to March this year. Visitors to the store told the media, "I saw K-pop singers wearing these glasses." According to sales data of 22 types of square metal frame glasses from all JINS stores and online in Japan, the number of women in their 20s who purchased these products increased 3.2 times in May compared to December last year.
Wireless headphones, frequently featured as accessories of K-pop idols, are also gaining popularity. Targeting this trend, the Sony Store in Ginza, Tokyo, reportedly installed full-length mirrors in the store last year so customers can check their "headphone fashion."
Girl group NewJeans is performing at 'Bunnies Camp 2024 Tokyo Dome' held at Tokyo Dome, Japan, on the 27th of last month. [Image source=Yonhap News]
The media analyzed, "From January to April, 890,000 Japanese visited Korea," and added, "As Korea-Japan exchanges become closer, the trend of young Japanese people recognizing Korea as a fashion icon is expected to continue."
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