K-Musicals Now Mainstream in Japan... Status Soars After Tony Award, Flooded With Local Offers
by Lee Jonggil
Published 16 Apr.2026 17:00(KST)
Updated 17 Apr.2026 07:10(KST)
Love Calls from Local Production Companies Like Shiki Theatre Company
Aiming for a Market Growing to 870 Billion Yen
K-musicals are being treated in Japan on par with Broadway musicals. The status of K-musicals changed dramatically last year when "Maybe Happy Ending" won a Tony Award in the United States. Major local production companies, such as Shiki Theatre Company, are increasingly licensing and staging original Korean musicals.
According to the report "2.5D Musicals and K-Musical: Changes in the Landscape and Growth Drivers of the Japanese Musical Market," published by the Korea Creative Content Agency on April 8, the period when K-musicals first gained real recognition in Japan was 2013. CJ ENM and the local entertainment agency Amuse operated a dedicated 900-seat K-musical theater (Amuse Musical Theatre), introducing many productions to Japanese audiences.
During the Korean drama boom of the 2000s, K-musicals were mostly recognized as projects featuring actors who had appeared in popular dramas. Later, as the number of fans visiting Korea to see musicals starring K-pop idols increased, productions such as "Caffeine," "Red Book," "Fan Letter," "Marie Curie," "Mata Hari," and "The Goddess Is Watching" were staged in Japan and gradually developed into licensed performances. More recently, musical adaptations of popular Korean dramas in Japan, such as "Crash Landing on You" and "Itaewon Class," have been met with great enthusiasm.
A turning point came last year when "Maybe Happy Ending" won six Tony Awards, considered the highest honor in American theater. Leading Japanese musical production companies-Shiki Theatre Company, Toho Musical, and Horipro-began to increase licensed performances of original Korean musicals. Among Japanese musical fans, K-musicals have established themselves as a genre alongside 2.5D musicals based on manga and anime.
In Japan, K-musicals are regarded as being more dramatically structured and featuring more impressive vocal performances than local musicals. Their popularity is significant. Many fans are not content with just seeing K-musicals staged in Japan-they travel to Korea to attend performances in person or enjoy live-streamed shows online. Lee Hye-eun, head of the KOCCA Tokyo Business Center, said, "Japan's largest ticketing site, Ticket Pia, even publishes a magazine called 'Hallyu Pia' that consistently features K-musicals."
K-musicals being performed or scheduled to be staged in Japan this year include "Sylvia, Alive," "Damaged Fruit," "The Last Case," "Eternity," and "Rappaccini's Garden." Most of these are licensed performances featuring Japanese actors.
Following the Tony Award win by "Maybe Happy Ending," there has also been some self-reflection within the Japanese musical industry. Lee added, "The Japanese market has mainly focused on licensing American musicals, with very few original productions, sparking a movement to create new works."
Some argue that Korea's national projects, which provide government support for production costs, have been a contributing factor. However, Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry also provide funding for localization and overseas expansion of musicals.
The size of the Japanese stage (musical and theater) market reached an all-time high of 230.6 billion yen (2.1417 trillion won) in 2024. Pia Research Institute forecasts that the market will grow at an average annual rate of 2.4%, reaching 260 billion yen (2.4148 trillion won) by 2030.
In fact, ticket prices for S-seats have risen from 13,000 yen to 17,000 yen, yet nearly every performance sells out. This is due to the "Oshikatsu" culture, where fans spare no expense to support their favorite actors and productions.
Lee emphasized, "The Japanese musical market remains the third largest in the world after Broadway in the United States and the West End in the United Kingdom. The ripple effect is significant-not only do fans buy tickets, but they also purchase merchandise and consume original works." She further stressed, "This could present another opportunity for the Korean musical industry."
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