Has Japan’s K-pop bubble burst? Weakening yen hits major Korean record label hard

TOKYO — It wasn’t so long ago that everywhere you looked in Japan, there were ads for Korean pop groups, cosmetics and health drinks. More people than ever were snapping up Korean language textbooks and, despite territorial squabbles and a few extreme-right noise makers, Japan was positively leaping on anything prefixed by the letter ‘K’.

Recent reports, however, suggest that all is not well in the K-pop music camp in Japan, with major Korean record label and talent agency S.M. Entertainment reporting losses of more than 70% compared to the same period last year. Has the K-pop bubble finally burst in Japan?

Despite boasting sales amounting to some $44 million in the first quarter of 2012, Japan’s Livedoor News reported last week that S.M. Entertainment’s profits fell by more than 70% during the same period this year, prompting industry analysts to wonder whether it’s finally game over for Korean pop idols in Japan.

The K-pop train may not be running at quite the speed it once did, but the real cause of S.M. Entertainment’s sudden dip in financial fortunes may not be Japanese fans’ indifference to their neighbors’ music so much as the fact that their money is worth less than it used to be abroad.

“No matter how you look at it, the cheap yen is very likely the major factor here,” said the editor of a Japan-based Korean entertainment magazine. “According to Korean financial analysts, some 70% of S.M.’s profits come from overseas, with Japan making up close to 50% of that. It’s only natural that, having relied on the [previously] strong yen so much, the company should take a hit now.”

Thanks in part to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s recent ‘Abenomics‘ financial footwork, the cost of the yen has fallen significantly for the first time in years, making life a little easier for Japanese companies trading outside of their homeland, but neighboring countries are feeling the strain as a result.

An S.M. Entertainment spokesperson responded to fears that the Japanese K-pop industry was in trouble, saying that the company had indeed posted much lower profits than in previous years, but stressed that the second financial quarter is set to be far more lucrative, with big names like Girls’ Generation and boy-band SHINee both going on tour and performing at a number of venues in Japan during the summer. Even so, with the yen far cheaper than it was last year, you can be sure that S.M., and many other Korean companies that rely on their Japanese fan base, will be left fondly remembering the days when their Japanese customers’ yen was worth much more back home.

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Ayame Goriki is TV commercial queen for first half of 2013

TOKYO — “Talent” Ayame Goriki, 20, has dethroned Aya Ueto as the TV commercial queen for the first half of 2013.

According to Video Research Co, Goriki had the most air time—her commercials were aired 10,793 times for a total exposure of 173,005 seconds. Last year’s No. 1 Ueto was second with 8,210 commercials aired for 134,790 seconds.

The research, which ran through Jan 1-June 30, targeted five TV stations in three areas—Kanto, Kansai and Nagoya.

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Yoshiki to release new classical album

LOS ANGELES — Japanese rock icon Yoshiki will digitally release his new album “Yoshiki Classical” on Aug 27. The album is a collaboration between Yoshiki, legendary Beatles producer Sir George Martin, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra and the Quartet San Francisco.

The end result is a symphonic collection driven by soaring strings, smart piano pieces and the melodic style of Yoshiki’s earlier work. The hard copy release will be Sept 24.

“I began taking piano lessons and music theory at age four, and became interested in classical works by Beethoven and Schubert,” Yoshiki said. “In elementary school, I played the trumpet in the brass band, and around age 10 started composing songs for piano. I’ve been writing classical music ever since. Needless to say, classical music has been a major influence in my musical career including X Japan. I’m so excited to finally share my classical compositions that are very close to my heart with my fans around the world.”

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Tsubasa Masuwaka gives make-up lecture in France

TOKYO — Model Tsubasa Masuwaka, 27, was Japan’s “make-up ambassador” at the Japan Expo 2013 in Paris this week.

Masuwaka gave a lecture to young French women on applying eye make-up. The lecture was presented by Cozy Honpo, which promotes Masuwaka’s make-up brand “Dolly Wink.” Masuwaka demonstrated how to apply “tsukematsuge” (fake eyelashes).

Sankei Sports reported that there were over 1,200 French women in the audience and they were all impressed by Masuwaka’s make-up skills such as making “natural droopy eyes.”

Masuwaka also participated in a product promotion booth and posed for commemorative photos. Some girls burst into tears out of excitement at seeing Masuwaka, Sankei reported.

“This is my second time visiting France. I’ve always loved France. When I first participated in the Japan Expo, I remember I was amazed by French girls’ simple yet sophisticated fashion sense,” she said. “They know how to turn their fashion style on and off for each occasion.”

Japan Today

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Model Moe Oshikiri to publish new book

TOKYO — Model Moe Oshikiri, 33, announced on her blog this week that she will publish a new book.

The blog entry begins with the title: “I have an announcement.” Oshikiri writes that on Aug 7, she will publish her new book titled “Asakiyumemishi,” a fictional work about an unpopular model who pursues her dream.

“I believe that pursuing one’s dreams is a wonderful thing but the journey can be very hard,” she wrote, adding that many of her own experiences overlap with the main character in her book. “I wanted to write about the struggle of a girl who is sincere,” Oshikiri writes on her blog.

Oshikiri says she started writing because the editor of the fashion magazine she regularly appears in, AneCan, recommended that she do so. “I don’t have any writing skills, so I struggled. But for about a year and a half, I focused on my feelings and got the job done.”

Oshikiri released her first book in 2009. Titled “Moderu Shikkaku” or “No Longer a Model,” it tells of how her first modeling agency went bankrupt, and she ended up working day jobs, such as putting strawberries on cakes, and how she suffered from a spinal injury in 2005 after being dumped by a wave in Hawaii.

Japan Today

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