
Mei Nagano apologizes for 'misunderstandings' regarding reported two-timing
Prior to her appearance on Nippon Broadcasting System's 'Mei Nagano's All Night Nippon X' on Monday, she said, 'Regarding the fuss caused by the reports in some weekly magazines, I have caused a lot of worry and trouble to fans who always support me, and to the people I work with. I am truly sorry.'
Last week, a reporter for weekly tabloid Shukan Bunshun found Nagano, 25, inviting an apparently drunk Tanaka into her apartment in Minato Ward late at night on April 19. Nagano and Tanaka, 40, met when they co-starred in the film 'And the Baton Was Passed' in 2021.
Further, she spent the night with Korean actor Kim Mu-jun, her 26-year-old co-star in the TBS drama 'Caster,' the day before, the magazine reporter. Mei Nagano (X)
Nagano continued, 'I sincerely regret my thoughtless actions that led to misunderstandings. In the future, I will act with moderation so that this will never happen again. I am sorry. I will do my best to regain everyone's trust from now on.'
She then spent about a minute playing the show's jingle.
Around the time of the emergence of the report, Nagano's agency, Stardust Productions, denied the allegations. 'Tanaka and Kim Mu-jun are senior performers and colleagues. There is no truth to the fact that they are dating,' the agency said. 'However, we have sternly told Nagano to be aware that her actions have led to misunderstandings.
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The Diplomat
3 days ago
- The Diplomat
Three Decades On, the Korean Wave Continues to Build Momentum
The global popularity of Korean culture is no longer a new phenomenon. This year alone, 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' became the most-watched animated film on Netflix, the New York Times placed the Korean film 'Parasite' at the top of its '100 Best Movies of the 21st Century' list, and the Korean musical 'Maybe Happy Ending' won six Tony Awards. Last year, Han Kang became the first Korean writer to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. Meanwhile, BTS is widely regarded as the biggest pop band of this generation, and 'Squid Game' remains Netflix's most-watched series of all time. Even as Hallyu, or the Korean Wave, continues to gain global traction, critics have persistently questioned its sustainability. In its early years, skeptics doubted whether Korean pop music had the quality to succeed abroad. Later, they argued that Korean popular culture lacked the originality to sustain momentum. Structural challenges such as language barriers and limited diversity were also seen as major obstacles. Yet despite these concerns, the Korean Wave has not only endured but has continued to grow and evolve over the past three decades. The rise of Hallyu has been less a sudden burst than a steady, sustained movement. By the late 1990s, Korean pop music and dramas had achieved notable success in neighboring countries, and during the 2010s, their popularity began to spread beyond Asia. A major turning point came in 2012, when Psy's 'Gangnam Style' became the first video to surpass 1 billion views on YouTube, placing Korean pop culture squarely on the global stage. Since then, artists like BTS and Blackpink have propelled K-pop into the mainstream across major global music markets including North America, Europe, and Latin America. Korean dramas have followed a similar trajectory. After a string of major hits in Asia, K-drama's global popularity surged in the 2020s, fueled largely by streaming platforms. Today, more than 80 percent of Netflix subscribers worldwide have watched at least one Korean show, and in terms of viewing hours, South Korean content ranks second only to that from the United States. 'Squid Game' remains Netflix's most-watched original series, and its final season became the first show ever to top the streaming platform's charts in all 93 countries where Netflix publishes Top 10 rankings during its first week of release. While pop music and dramas ignited Hallyu, they have not defined its boundaries. As Korean entertainment gained global recognition, interest quickly spread to lifestyle sectors such as food, cosmetics, and fashion. Korean cuisine, in particular, has become a major symbol of this cultural shift. Once consumed primarily within diaspora communities, Korean cuisine has entered the global mainstream, ranging from street snacks like tteokbokki and kimbap to Michelin-starred fine dining. This cultural shift is mirrored in trade statistics: K-food exports grew at an annual rate of 5.9 percent from 2015 to 2019, then accelerated to 9 percent per year between 2020 and 2024, reaching $7.02 billion in value. Language is another domain where the impact of the Korean Wave is clearly visible. Once primarily studied by heritage learners, Korean is now among the most popular languages on Duolingo, the world's largest language learning platform. It has even surpassed languages spoken in countries with far larger populations and greater geopolitical influence, such as China and Russia. Korean is one of only seven non-English languages fully supported across all 28 Duolingo interface languages. Interest in official certification has also grown. The number of test takers for the Korean language proficiency exam (TOPIK) doubled from 218,869 in 2020 to 428,585 in 2024. At home, Hallyu is reinvigorating domestic engagement with cultural heritage. As global interest grows, South Koreans are reimagining tradition not just as a marker of identity but as a source of creative inspiration. K-pop artists are at the forefront of this movement, showing that tradition can be both relevant and fashionable. Blackpink's Jennie incorporated motifs from ancient golden crowns in her 'Zen' music video, while BTS's Suga (as Agust D) drew heavily on traditional instruments and clothing in his track 'Daechwita.' This reinvention of heritage, now widely referred to as 'hip tradition,' captures how once-sacred symbols are being transformed into accessible, stylish expressions of creativity. The traditional dessert yakgwa also exemplifies this trend. After going viral on social media in the early 2020s, it inspired a wave of modern reinterpretations, including yakgwa cookies, scones, and financiers. Similar trends can be seen in museum gift shops, where miniature replicas of ancient sculptures and drinking glasses printed with classical Korean paintings frequently sell out. This renewed appreciation has led to a surge in museum attendance. The National Museum of Korea welcomed 2.7 million visitors in the first half of 2025, a 64.2 percent increase from the previous year. Foreign visitors also hit a new high, reaching nearly 98,000. Perhaps the most significant shift lies in who is now creating Korean-inspired content. A case in point is the animated film 'K-Pop Demon Hunters.' Set in Seoul, the film features Korean-inspired fashion and cuisine, along with a tiger and magpie duo drawn from traditional Korean paintings. What makes the project particularly noteworthy is that it was entirely conceived, produced, and distributed by non-Korean companies for global audiences. This marks a meaningful shift. Non-Koreans, who were previously engaged with Korean culture primarily as consumers, are now stepping into new roles as creators, investors, and cultural ambassadors. The film's commercial success highlights the enduring appeal and growing market potential of Korean-inspired content, signaling even more cross-cultural collaborations on the horizon. Three decades on, the Korean Wave has grown from a regional trend into a global phenomenon spanning continents, industries, and generations, demonstrating that it is far more than a passing trend. While cultural tastes will inevitably evolve and certain aspects of the Korean Wave may ebb or fade, its breadth, from entertainment to lifestyle, and its depth, reflected in the rising popularity of the Korean language and the reinterpretation of cultural heritage, indicate that Hallyu is here to stay.


Tokyo Weekender
5 days ago
- Tokyo Weekender
Michelin-Recognized Restaurant Okdongsik Brings Korean Comfort Soup to Tokyo
Kimchi. Bibimbap. Painfully spicy ramyun. These are a few items that come to mind when most people think of Korean food. While the global awareness of Korean cuisine has risen dramatically over the past decade as part of the 'K-Wave' phenomenon, a wealth of flavors and recipes remain outside of mainstream recognition. Gomtang , a hearty broth typically made with slow-simmered beef parts, is one such underrated classic. Luckily for us, a globally renowned gomtang specialty restaurant has opened its doors in Tokyo. Established in Seoul in 2017 with only 10 seats, Okdongsik has been awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand for 8 consecutive years for its signature Dweji Gomtang (pork gomtang). Unlike the typical beef gomtang, founder chef Ok Dongsik's version features a clear soup made from simmered pork shoulder and aromatic vegetables. Located near Tokyo's Koreatown Shin-Okubo, the store is the fifth permanent Okdongsik location worldwide, following two hugely successful New York branches and a Hawaii branch. The restaurant is set to open another branch in Paris this September. 'Perhaps because of the geographical proximity and cultural similarities between South Korea and Japan, many Japanese customers have dined at our Seoul and New York branches,' Chef Ok says in a press statement. 'While there are many Korean restaurants in Japan, I am passionate about sharing a traditional and authentic dish that I have been perfecting for the past 20 years.' okdongsik's dweji gomtang The Essence of Simplicity Unlike most Korean restaurants in Japan, which serve a large variety of stews, stir-fry dishes and shared plates, Okdongsik — with the apt slogan 'Essence of Simplicity' — focuses on one perfectly prepared bowl of gomtang. As mentioned, gomtang is a staple soul food dish in Korea, a milky, cloudy broth typically slow-cooked with meat, bones and offal, served alongside steaming rice and kkakdugi (diced radish kimchi). Okdongsik's Dweji Gomtang is distinguished by its unique clear broth, achieved by slow-simmering pork shoulders, green onions, radish, onions, garlic, ginger and peppercorns. The pork shoulder was chosen for its ideal balance of lean muscle and fat, which provides a robust and deep flavor profile. The broth is seasoned only with salt to highlight this delicate flavor. The rice component is prepared using the traditional Korean toryeom method: a kombu-salt broth is poured over the cooked rice multiple times to soften it, letting the grains better absorb the gomtang broth once combined. The technique results in a gukbap -like dish, a humble and warming 'soup rice' category rich with umami and texture. Those who enjoy spice can add gochuji , a Korean fermented chili paste, to the meat while eating. The Tokyo location will also offer a few Japan-exclusive dishes, including Dweji Deopbap (stir-fried pork over rice), Shrimp Donggeurangttaeng (fried shrimp pancake) and Cold Jeyuk (cold boiled pork). Diners will also get to enjoy Japan-exclusive sparkling alcoholic beverages from the Korean brand, NERD Brewery. About Chef Ok Dongsik After completing a comprehensive four-year culinary arts program at Kyung Hee University, Chef Ok Dongsik developed his culinary skills through diverse experiences, including working in the inflight catering division of an airline, at the Korean embassy in Côte d'Ivoire and as a head chef at a prestigious hotel in Korea. Chef Ok Dongsik's culinary philosophy revolves around bringing out the finest flavors of ingredients, and he emphasizes the importance of ingredient freshness over price. For more information, check out @okdongsik and @ on Instagram. Discover Tokyo, Every Week Get the city's best stories, under-the-radar spots and exclusive invites delivered straight to your inbox. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy . Related Posts Inside Sangai, The SG Club's New Exclusive Tokyo Bar The World's 50 Best Restaurants List 2025 Features Four From Japan A Foodie's Guide to Higashi-Azabu: Restaurants Near Tokyo Tower


Tokyo Weekender
08-08-2025
- Tokyo Weekender
Japan's Most High-Profile Astronauts
Forty years ago this week, Japan nominated three individuals — Takao Doi, Mamoru Mohri and Chiaki Mukai — as the country's first astronaut candidates. To celebrate that milestone, we are profiling the most high-profile Japanese astronauts for our latest List of 7 , starting with a man who wasn't actually a professional astronaut. Still, as he was the first Japanese person to go to space — and with a very interesting story to boot, he's well worth including. List of Contents: Toyohiro Akiyama Mamoru Mohri Chiaki Mukai Takao Doi Koichi Wakata Soichi Noguchi Naoko Yamazaki More From This Series Toyohiro Akiyama A chain-smoking TV correspondent in his late 40s who had no background in science or engineering, Toyohiro Akiyama didn't exactly seem like the ideal candidate to become the first Japanese person in space. That didn't bother TBS, though. The Japanese TV station was looking to boost ratings by broadcasting something unconventional. The idea that executives came up with was to pay one of its employees to join the Soyuz TM-11 expedition to the Russian space station Mir. More than 150 people from the company applied. Akiyama was selected alongside camerawoman Ryoko Kikuchi, who was supposed to be a sub-crew member. She then developed a case of appendicitis a week before launch, leaving Akiyama with no backup. He trained for more than a year, during which time he gave up his four-pack-a-day cigarette habit. Before liftoff, he was asked what he looked forward to most on his return. 'I can't wait to have a smoke,' was his response . After the flight, his fellow crew members reportedly said they'd 'never seen a man vomit so much.' Mamoru Mohri Akiyama may have gone there before him, but Mamoru Mohri will always hold the title of Japan's first professional astronaut in space. The Hokkaido native was a member of the STS-47 mission crew as the chief payload specialist for Spacelab-J in 1992. He was joined by six other astronauts, including Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman to go to space, and Mark C. Lee and Jan Davis, the first and, so far, only married couple to fly to space together. During that first trip to space, Mohri performed experiments that were televised to students in Japan as part of a collaboration with NHK. Speaking to TW in 2001, he said it was his way of honoring teacher Christa McAuliffe, who died aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986 after it broke apart 73 seconds into the flight. Mohri later joined the STS-99 crew for his second trip to space in what was the first space shuttle mission of the 21st century. Chiaki Mukai In 1983, the same year she was named chief resident of cardiovascular surgery at Keio University Hospital, Chiaki Mukai read a newspaper article about the Japanese Space Agency (now known as JAXA) recruiting scientists for space shuttle experiments aboard the 1988 US Space Shuttle . Though her dream since childhood was to be a doctor, she had long been fascinated by space after being inspired as a youngster by stories of astronauts like Yuri Gagarin orbiting the earth and Valentina Tereshkova becoming the first woman in space. Mukai was selected as a back-up member in 1988. Six years later, she joined the STS-65 mission aboard Columbia, becoming the first Japanese woman to fly into space. She carried out experiments related to life sciences and space medicine. Her second voyage was in 1998 on Discovery as part of the STS-95 mission, making her the first Japanese citizen to venture into space twice. On the same flight was US Senator John Glenn, the first astronaut to orbit the Earth. Mukai spent a total of 23 days in space. Takao Doi Prior to joining the STS-123 mission aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour in March 2008, Takao Doi received a boomerang from Yasuhiro Togai. The world boomerang champion at the time, Togai wanted him to throw the wooden object in space to see if it would return. Doi complied with the request from within the International Space Station (ISS). The boomerang came back to him. Speaking to his wife during the mission, Doi said , 'I was very surprised and moved to see it fly the same way it does on Earth.' That was Doi's second mission to space. His first was in 1997 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia as part of the STS-87 crew. During that expedition, he became the first Japanese astronaut to perform an EVA (Extravehicular Activity, also known as space walking). Doi and Winston Scott performed two spacewalks, totaling 12 hours and 43 minutes. During the first spacewalk, they manually captured a malfunctioning Spartan satellite. Doi retired from astronaut duty in 2009. Earlier this year, he was appointed visiting professor at Ryukoku University in Kyoto. Koichi Wakata No Japanese astronaut has spent as much time in space as Koichi Wakata. The Omiya city-born scientist, who retired from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) last year, spent a cumulative total of 504 days, 18 hours and 35 minutes in orbit across five space missions. His first flight was in 1996 as part of the STS-72 mission on the space shuttle Endeavour. He operated the shuttle's robotic arm to retrieve the Space Flyer Unit — a Japanese satellite launched several months earlier. Between November 2013 and May 2014, Wakata spent 188 consecutive days in space as a crew member of Soyuz TMA-11M and ISS Expeditions 38 and 39. For Expedition 39, he became the first Japanese astronaut to oversee a manned space mission. He was also the third person from outside NASA or the Russian Space Agency to command the ISS. Carrying out his duties with a Japanese flag on his arm, Wakata said he 'had a continual sense of the expectations of everyone in Japan.' Discover Tokyo, Every Week Get the city's best stories, under-the-radar spots and exclusive invites delivered straight to your inbox. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy . Soichi Noguchi Following in the footsteps of John Young and Wally Schirra, Soichi Noguchi became the third astronaut — and first non-American — to launch aboard three different types of spacecraft when he joined the Crew-1 mission, the maiden operational crewed flight of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft to the ISS, in November 2020. Before returning to Earth around six months later, Noguchi and NASA astronaut Kate Rubins both conducted their fourth career spacewalks. Noguchi's three previous spacewalks came during the STS-114 mission in 2005 to help with repairs to the space station. That was the first return-to-flight mission after the Columbia tragedy, when seven astronauts lost their lives. It was also Noguchi's first trip to space. His second was in December 2009, when he traveled to the ISS aboard the Russian Soyuz spacecraft (21S) as part of Expedition 22. In 2012, Noguchi voiced himself in two episodes of the popular anime series Space Brothers ( Uchu Kyodai ). Eight years later, he retired from astronaut duty and became the honorary director of the CupNoodles Museum in Yokohama. Naoko Yamazaki In an interview with TW in 2020, Naoko Yamazaki said she started considering a career as an astronaut after watching the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster — during which seven crew members lost their lives — on TV in 1986. She was just 15 at the time, but it had a big effect on her. 'I remember thinking that this wasn't science fiction,' she said . 'The people who perished in the disaster were real. That's when I first thought that I wanted to become a part of future space programs.' Certified as an astronaut in 2001, Yamazaki joined the STS-131 mission in 2010, becoming the second Japanese woman to fly to space. It marked the first time that four women stayed in space simultaneously and the first time a Japanese mother had flown to space. 'It was a rollercoaster of emotions,' she told TW. 'As I approached the window, I saw the Earth above my head. It was shining and reflecting the sunrise, and it looked alive. It was simply breathtaking.' More From This Series Legendary Japanese Onna-Musha (Female Warriors) Iconic City Pop Songs Covered or Sampled by Overseas Artists Japanese Films That Influenced Quentin Tarantino