In an electrifying welcome even for celebrity-struck Tokyo, thousands of Japanese women screamed wildly and burst into tears as they greeted South Korean heartthrob Bae Yong-joon.
Bae, 32, was in Japan to promote a book of photographs of the star, whose television drama -- Winter Sonata -- has set off a craze in Japan for all things Korean and made him one of the most sought-after celebrities here.
About 3,500 fans, many camping out since the early morning, crowded a terminal at the international airport in Narita for a glimpse of the star as he arrived from Seoul. Some 350 police and 70 anti-riot agents were on hand to control the crowd.
The superstar stepped out at Narita Airport in a black striped suit sporting a pair of brown sunglasses, taking bows and waving as grown women screamed, cried and took countless snapshots.
The reaction to Bae's appearance neared hysteria.
"I'm so happy -- I could die now with no regrets!" sobbed Noriko Fukawa, 48, after catching a glimpse of the star.
"His smile changed my life," said Miyuki Aoi, a 43-year-old mother of three. "Because of him, I will be happy every day of my life."
At least one network, NTV, broadcast Bae's arrival live. The fans, overwhelmingly women, screamed and snapped pictures -- many with cellphone cameras -- when Bae entered the waiting area to cheers and applause.
"I see him! He's wearing a black suit!" gushed a breathless NTV announcer. Networks also aired footage of Bae, in stylish sunglasses, arriving to the Seoul airport to board his plane.
Bae was scheduled to promote the photobook -- which features shots of him showing off his muscled torso -- at a news conference in downtown Tokyo today.
Winter Sonata, which is slotted to air a fourth time in Japan next month, has won fans over with its sugary tale of an ill-fated teenage romance revived in a chance meeting many years later.
The show is especially popular among middle-aged women who say the unsophisticated filming style and heartfelt emotions of the characters make them nostalgic for Japan before its meteoric rise to wealth.
The popularity of the show has boosted travel to South Korea, interest in Korean pop culture and registrations at dating agencies that specialize in hooking Japanese women up with South Korean men.
The boom centers on Bae, whose TV image as sensitive and passionate has made him a heartthrob in Japan. He reinforced that image yesterday, when he told NTV at the airport in Seoul that he was concerned about the safety of the crowds.
"I was so worried that my fans might get hurt that I couldn't sleep," he said.
Yoshie Ryu, a pharmacist in her 50s, spent the night at Tokyo's airport to wait for his arrival.
"He is so handsome," she said, wearing a T-shirt with Bae's photo printed on her chest, holding his poster cut in the shape of a heart.
"He looks so pure, graceful and gentle. No Japanese men are like him," she said.
The Burmese junta has said that detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi is “in good health,” a day after her son said he has received little information about the 80-year-old’s condition and fears she could die without him knowing. In an interview in Tokyo earlier this week, Kim Aris said he had not heard from his mother in years and believes she is being held incommunicado in the capital, Naypyidaw. Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was detained after a 2021 military coup that ousted her elected civilian government and sparked a civil war. She is serving a
REVENGE: Trump said he had the support of the Syrian government for the strikes, which took place in response to an Islamic State attack on US soldiers last week The US launched large-scale airstrikes on more than 70 targets across Syria, the Pentagon said on Friday, fulfilling US President Donald Trump’s vow to strike back after the killing of two US soldiers. “This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance,” US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth wrote on social media. “Today, we hunted and we killed our enemies. Lots of them. And we will continue.” The US Central Command said that fighter jets, attack helicopters and artillery targeted ISIS infrastructure and weapon sites. “All terrorists who are evil enough to attack Americans are hereby warned
Seven wild Asiatic elephants were killed and a calf was injured when a high-speed passenger train collided with a herd crossing the tracks in India’s northeastern state of Assam early yesterday, local authorities said. The train driver spotted the herd of about 100 elephants and used the emergency brakes, but the train still hit some of the animals, Indian Railways spokesman Kapinjal Kishore Sharma told reporters. Five train coaches and the engine derailed following the impact, but there were no human casualties, Sharma said. Veterinarians carried out autopsies on the dead elephants, which were to be buried later in the day. The accident site
‘NO AMNESTY’: Tens of thousands of people joined the rally against a bill that would slash the former president’s prison term; President Lula has said he would veto the bill Tens of thousands of Brazilians on Sunday demonstrated against a bill that advanced in Congress this week that would reduce the time former president Jair Bolsonaro spends behind bars following his sentence of more than 27 years for attempting a coup. Protests took place in the capital, Brasilia, and in other major cities across the nation, including Sao Paulo, Florianopolis, Salvador and Recife. On Copacabana’s boardwalk in Rio de Janeiro, crowds composed of left-wing voters chanted “No amnesty” and “Out with Hugo Motta,” a reference to the speaker of the lower house, which approved the bill on Wednesday last week. It is
RSS