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.
LANDMARK CASE: ‘Every night we were dragged to US soldiers and sexually abused. Every week we were forced to undergo venereal disease tests,’ a victim said More than 100 South Korean women who were forced to work as prostitutes for US soldiers stationed in the country have filed a landmark lawsuit accusing Washington of abuse, their lawyers said yesterday. Historians and activists say tens of thousands of South Korean women worked for state-sanctioned brothels from the 1950s to 1980s, serving US troops stationed in country to protect the South from North Korea. In 2022, South Korea’s top court ruled that the government had illegally “established, managed and operated” such brothels for the US military, ordering it to pay about 120 plaintiffs compensation. Last week, 117 victims
China on Monday announced its first ever sanctions against an individual Japanese lawmaker, targeting China-born Hei Seki for “spreading fallacies” on issues such as Taiwan, Hong Kong and disputed islands, prompting a protest from Tokyo. Beijing has an ongoing spat with Tokyo over islands in the East China Sea claimed by both countries, and considers foreign criticism on sensitive political topics to be acts of interference. Seki, a naturalised Japanese citizen, “spread false information, colluded with Japanese anti-China forces, and wantonly attacked and smeared China”, foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters on Monday. “For his own selfish interests, (Seki)
Argentine President Javier Milei on Sunday vowed to “accelerate” his libertarian reforms after a crushing defeat in Buenos Aires provincial elections. The 54-year-old economist has slashed public spending, dismissed tens of thousands of public employees and led a major deregulation drive since taking office in December 2023. He acknowledged his party’s “clear defeat” by the center-left Peronist movement in the elections to the legislature of Buenos Aires province, the country’s economic powerhouse. A deflated-sounding Milei admitted to unspecified “mistakes” which he vowed to “correct,” but said he would not be swayed “one millimeter” from his reform agenda. “We will deepen and accelerate it,” he
Japan yesterday heralded the coming-of-age of Japanese Prince Hisahito with an elaborate ceremony at the Imperial Palace, where a succession crisis is brewing. The nephew of Japanese Emperor Naruhito, Hisahito received a black silk-and-lacquer crown at the ceremony, which marks the beginning of his royal adult life. “Thank you very much for bestowing the crown today at the coming-of-age ceremony,” Hisahito said. “I will fulfill my duties, being aware of my responsibilities as an adult member of the imperial family.” Although the emperor has a daughter — Princess Aiko — the 23-year-old has been sidelined by the royal family’s male-only
RSS