Japanese Media: "No Japan Is a Thing of the Past... 'Taste of Japan' Regains Popularity in Korea"

Jiji Press Highlights Korea's Past Boycott of Japanese Products

"Record-High Japanese Beer Imports and Tourism... No Japan Movement Is History"

Improved Korea-Japan Relations Lead to Greater Favorability Toward Japan

Japanese media have reported that the boycott of Japanese products (No Japan movement) is now a thing of the past, citing the improvement in Korea-Japan relations and other factors.

A display of Japanese beer at a store in Seoul in 2020. The Asia Business Daily DB

According to Yonhap News Agency, Jiji Press of Japan reported on the 17th, "Korea's imports of Japanese beer last year reached an all-time high," adding, "The 'taste of Japan' is regaining popularity, particularly among younger generations who enjoy traveling to Japan."

According to the report, Korea imported approximately 12.6 billion yen (about 117.7 billion won) worth of Japanese beer last year, surpassing the previous record of 12.4 billion yen set in 2018, before the No Japan movement took hold. After the boycott of Japanese products started in 2019, Korea's imports of Japanese beer fell to as low as 900 million yen in 2020. However, since 2021, imports have gradually recovered and reached a seven-year high.

The report also highlighted that Japan's largest yakitori (grilled chicken skewer) franchise, Torikizoku, opened its first store in Hongdae in 2024 and is set to open its fourth outlet this spring, noting that Koreans' love for the "taste of Japan" is spreading more widely.

A bustling scene of Incheon Airport filled with travelers. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The number of Korean tourists visiting Japan has also been on the rise since 2022, after the COVID-19 situation was brought under control. The number of Koreans who visited Japan surpassed 13 million last year, up from 12 million in 2024, setting a new record for two consecutive years. Among all foreign visitors to Japan, Koreans accounted for the largest share. This trend is analyzed to be influenced by the strong exchange rate and rising prices abroad.

According to immigration statistics from the Ministry of Justice, about 1.13 million people visited Japan in January. This is the first time that the number of Koreans visiting Japan in a single month has exceeded one million. In contrast, 984,906 domestic travelers visited Jeju Island during the same period, meaning that more Koreans traveled to Japan than to Jeju.

President Lee Jae-myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi are taking a commemorative photo at Horyuji Temple, a representative cultural heritage site in Nara Prefecture, Japan, on January 14. Blue House

According to the results of the "Media Opinion Survey on Japan" released by the Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association on February 8, 56.4% of Koreans surveyed said they had a favorable impression of Japan. This figure is up 15.8 percentage points from the previous year, marking the highest since the survey began in 2014 and the first time it has exceeded 50%. The increase in favorability was especially pronounced among people in their teens, twenties, and thirties. The survey was conducted in November and December last year with about 1,000 respondents from each of the following six countries: Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and Thailand.

Analysts say that the resumption of Korea-Japan summit diplomacy and the expansion of cultural and tourism exchanges have changed the perception among younger generations. The Yomiuri Shimbun explained, "It appears that Japanese political circles, including Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, have recently placed greater importance on Korea-Japan relations, which has had an impact."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.