The phenomenon known as Hallyu (Korean Wave) was first coined by the Chinese back around 2000 as Korean culture and goods started rapidly spreading through Asia. It hit full bloom in Japan around 2003 when BoA was making music there and Winter Sonata aired for the first time, launching Bae Yong Joon (Yonsama) into super stardom. With the success of TVXQ/DBSK in Japan, Sportsseoul.com and Daum recently had an article up talking up the different Korean stars in Japan and which age group favors them. In the age bracket of teens - early 30's, most people like Korean musicians but don't really know much about the actors / actresses in dramas. A Japanese High School shared her world with the Sportsseoul journalist and stated that they don't know anything about the Korean dramas but they listen to Korean music. The singers that are appealing to this age bracket are TVXQ, BoA, SS501, and FT Island. All these artists have released albums in Japan and had many activities there. Big Bang recently started their foray into Japan and is slowly getting more and more recognition. Mr. Yuki, a local Japanese journalist stated that TVXQ's popularity is on par with Johnny's Idol Groups. He thinks the reason for this is because TVXQ's looks, music, and style is very well matched to the Japanese tastes. Because of this, their popularity in Japan is no surprise. In the age bracket of late 30's +, there are some that like Korean music (mainly TVXQ) but this age bracket is mostly concentrated on the dramas. They're big fans of Bae Yong Joon, Song Seung Hun, Kwon Sang Woo, and Lee Byung Hun. These older women were mostly attracted by the looks of the actors and their kindness / warmness / friendliness in the dramas. I thought this dichotomy of young and old was interesting. Thanks to Junsulv@OneTVXQ Forums for sharing and also check out the OneTVXQ Forums.