140. Frustration in Japan
On August 7th, 2011, a group of over 1000 gathered in front of Fuji Television Broadcasting Center to protest the amount of Korean pop content in the station's programming. It was also a direct response to the recent FNS Music Festival concert on August 6th, where Korean pop groups performed in succession. The group called for "no more Korean invasion of Japanese media". The protest is followed by a boycott of Fuji TV on August 8th. As bystanders, we cannot help but wonder: What triggered this sudden rally of people?
Footage from the 8.7.2011 protest.
From various comments made by people involved with the protests, we can see the sentiment is that many Japanese youth do not feel connected with K-pop at all, but on Fuji TV especially, there has been a continuous broadcast of Korean pop music and news reports analyzing the "Korean Boom" (韓流), a word which has been in use since the early 2000s. This "misrepresentation of Japanese interest in Korean culture" is what prompted the protest at Fuji TV, the owner of broadcasting rights to many Korean groups. The protesters claim that Fuji TV has singlehandedly crafted the illusion of a "Korean Boom" in order to destroy Japanese culture.
However, if we look at the performers list at FNS Music Festival, we will see that most of the performers are Japanese. The beef with the Korean line-up is that they are grouped into a special segment called, "History of K-Pop", hosted by KARA. It is understandable that K-pop would be separated from Japanese music because they are marketed as foreign and exotic. So why the hate? The more serious problem is the neo-nationalism at work behind scenes.
After the March 11th Earthquake hit, Japan was devastated psychologically. The government appeared to have solution to many issues, including the radiation of food in East Japan, and the public lost a lot of hope in the government. Japanese people left the country when they could. At Beijing airport, I saw two adults arriving with 6 children ages ranging from 7 to 16, who were not siblings, but were sent away from home with trusted chaperons. When I came back to Toronto, I also found an increase in the number of Japanese residents. The Japanese people may be a tough bunch, but they would still gladly leave their homeland for safety.
Video of press conference at Fukushima with Tokyo officials.
To many Japanese, the Earthquake experience has taught them to rely on themselves. The government of Japan did not pay for anyone's trip out of Japan. They had to fund their trip out of their own pockets. And so, eventually, when the money runs out, most of them would return to Japan. What do they find upon their return? Korean pop music on the Oricon charts and on TV.
I do not want to get into the historical rivalry between Japan and Korea, but I think it is safe to say that words like "cultural invasion" are quick to agitate either side. The 1000+ protesters were probably fueled by the bandwagon effect. When the Japanese yen is high in value and foreign investment is at an all-time low, the domestic market need stimulation. Even people with no economy background can figure that much at least. While it may seem trivial, boycotting Korean goods is one way people call for a refocus on Japanese culture.
But this leads us to the ultimate question: What is Japanese culture today? Prime Minister Kan's position is basically a shadow after a year of cabinet turmoil, and the CEO of Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has resigned. People need a figurehead to believe in, and a figurehead to blame. Although quite a few Japanese bloggers have stated that the Fukushima problem should be shared by all of Japan because people accepted the building of the nuclear power plants in the first place, no one really wants to take it upon him/herself. The fundamental problem is the lack of resources (such as electricity), which both the government and the individual cannot fix. People are frustrated because there is no simple solution. They also hold too much pride in being a 1st nation country, so that inadequate solutions are criticized immediately. What happens is venting anger in any outlet possible, including at the entertainment industry.
I am not making an argument for the Korean pop stars, but the bottom line is that in May 2011, 200000+ copies of Korean singles were sold in one week, which really gives support to the case of "Korean Boom" in Japan. No matter what the reason is behind Fuji TV's promotion of Korean music (Money, maybe?), they are not fools in using their rhetoric. What is truly misrepresented is the neo-nationalism in protesting Korean TV content and criticizing the government, which currently goes unsupported by any centralized neo-nationalist leadership. Until the leadership problem is resolved, a new page in Japanese history will not be written.
Footage from the 8.7.2011 protest.
From various comments made by people involved with the protests, we can see the sentiment is that many Japanese youth do not feel connected with K-pop at all, but on Fuji TV especially, there has been a continuous broadcast of Korean pop music and news reports analyzing the "Korean Boom" (韓流), a word which has been in use since the early 2000s. This "misrepresentation of Japanese interest in Korean culture" is what prompted the protest at Fuji TV, the owner of broadcasting rights to many Korean groups. The protesters claim that Fuji TV has singlehandedly crafted the illusion of a "Korean Boom" in order to destroy Japanese culture.
However, if we look at the performers list at FNS Music Festival, we will see that most of the performers are Japanese. The beef with the Korean line-up is that they are grouped into a special segment called, "History of K-Pop", hosted by KARA. It is understandable that K-pop would be separated from Japanese music because they are marketed as foreign and exotic. So why the hate? The more serious problem is the neo-nationalism at work behind scenes.
After the March 11th Earthquake hit, Japan was devastated psychologically. The government appeared to have solution to many issues, including the radiation of food in East Japan, and the public lost a lot of hope in the government. Japanese people left the country when they could. At Beijing airport, I saw two adults arriving with 6 children ages ranging from 7 to 16, who were not siblings, but were sent away from home with trusted chaperons. When I came back to Toronto, I also found an increase in the number of Japanese residents. The Japanese people may be a tough bunch, but they would still gladly leave their homeland for safety.
Video of press conference at Fukushima with Tokyo officials.
To many Japanese, the Earthquake experience has taught them to rely on themselves. The government of Japan did not pay for anyone's trip out of Japan. They had to fund their trip out of their own pockets. And so, eventually, when the money runs out, most of them would return to Japan. What do they find upon their return? Korean pop music on the Oricon charts and on TV.
I do not want to get into the historical rivalry between Japan and Korea, but I think it is safe to say that words like "cultural invasion" are quick to agitate either side. The 1000+ protesters were probably fueled by the bandwagon effect. When the Japanese yen is high in value and foreign investment is at an all-time low, the domestic market need stimulation. Even people with no economy background can figure that much at least. While it may seem trivial, boycotting Korean goods is one way people call for a refocus on Japanese culture.
But this leads us to the ultimate question: What is Japanese culture today? Prime Minister Kan's position is basically a shadow after a year of cabinet turmoil, and the CEO of Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has resigned. People need a figurehead to believe in, and a figurehead to blame. Although quite a few Japanese bloggers have stated that the Fukushima problem should be shared by all of Japan because people accepted the building of the nuclear power plants in the first place, no one really wants to take it upon him/herself. The fundamental problem is the lack of resources (such as electricity), which both the government and the individual cannot fix. People are frustrated because there is no simple solution. They also hold too much pride in being a 1st nation country, so that inadequate solutions are criticized immediately. What happens is venting anger in any outlet possible, including at the entertainment industry.
I am not making an argument for the Korean pop stars, but the bottom line is that in May 2011, 200000+ copies of Korean singles were sold in one week, which really gives support to the case of "Korean Boom" in Japan. No matter what the reason is behind Fuji TV's promotion of Korean music (Money, maybe?), they are not fools in using their rhetoric. What is truly misrepresented is the neo-nationalism in protesting Korean TV content and criticizing the government, which currently goes unsupported by any centralized neo-nationalist leadership. Until the leadership problem is resolved, a new page in Japanese history will not be written.
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Written by micr0q. Video contents do not belong to me, no infringement intended. Copyright 2011.
Written by micr0q. Video contents do not belong to me, no infringement intended. Copyright 2011.
posted by Micro Q at
00:22
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