Original in Korean: creamcheeze
Date/Time: 2010/10/24 03:57
Translated into English: suehanI think Yonsama’s bento (lunch box), “Gosireh,” has been on sale at the convenient stores in Japan nationwide for five days so far. I heard from my co-workers that they don’t want to pay 2,500 yen for the lunch box even though they like Yonsama (most of who are middle aged women), But they said that some people around them bought several of them (suehan: actually the word she used means between 10 to 100) to eat or share with each others.
They’re buying those expensive 2,500 Yen lunch boxes!!! I would rather buy the nori bento (290 Yen) nine days in a row for the same price of buying the bento.
Several bentos? They are buying those expensive bentos because they like Yonsama! Is this what is coming from the fans’ mind?
Now, it’s said that the fever of Girls’ Generation and Kara is spreading all over Japan. But not many of the younger generations in my area know about Girls’ Generation or Kara even though they are popular in Tokyo and other big cities!!
Oh, some (?) college students who have one or two Korean friends most likely know about them. Even some who aren’t interested in Korea are very surprised that the trip between Korea and Japan is only 2 hours long via airplane. (that person might not have common sense.)
The most renowned things that the Japanese know about Korea are Kimchi, Bulgogi (beef), and spicy foods... “Do Koreans like spicy food?”, “Is it true that Bulgogi is delicious?”, and “Is Korean Kimchee better than Japanese Kimchee?”...
It’s said that Hallyu fever has cooled down now, but it is a very cold-hearted comment to say that the contribution of Korean entertainers to introduce Korea was just a phase (even though this introduction of Korea was not intentional). Surprisingly, many people are saying that they want to visit Korea after watching the Korean dramas.
This doesn’t only apply to the Japanese. The people from Hong Kong and Indonesia are very interested in Korea as well after hearing Korean pop songs and watching Korean dramas. I thought that “Ah.. that’s why the entertainers are chosen as the PR Ambassadors of Korea” after I heard that foreigners were humming to the beat of Korean songs even though they didn’t understand the lyrics.
I remember that I began to become interested in the culture of Japan after I watched the Japanese dramas in my youth. “I want to visit Japan.” They often entertain themselves with the images of the entertainers of Korea, who later indirectly persuade viewers to learn more about Korea. It becomes natural to want to visit the places which were shown in the drama and where their favorite entertainers have stayed.
Anyway, Yonsama is an outstanding entertainer.
He was introduced by “Winter Sonata” to Japan and he has had a tremendous number of Japanese fans who increased his popularity. As a result, I dare to say that he can bring a huge amount of Yen to Korea. I also acknowledge that he handles his image really well. I hope he can keep it up it continuously!!
Now I kind of understand why a modifier, “Sama,” was added to his name. The young people who weren’t interested in Yonsama said, “Why is he a ‘Sama’? anyway, it’s interesting.” But the ajummas are crazy about him.
One more thing, as I look at the menu of the expensive bento, “Gosireh”
I realize that it is a meal for the King something that I have yet to eat (but, the foreigners can have them for their “bento”, haha).
The Gosireh is not just Bulgogi, Kimchee, and spicy food.
It is the platter that demonstrates the high quality and sophistication of Korean food. There are teokgalbi, tofu wrapped with the sesame leaf, and colorful garnishes using red, yellow, white, and green on top of the shrimp. It is a bento made mostly by hand with love.
Now that I come to think about it, Japan’s marketing strategy for the overseas restaurants is to have them be defined as high class. I think we need to pay a lot in order to eat Japanese food and sushi overseas. We need to apply that same strategy.
The image that we give to consumers is very important. We see this image when we look at the marketing sense of Japan. Is it not better to be considered a country of high class, exotic food, and curiosity?
It might not be only Yonsama’s idea.
I’m convinced that Yonsama, who almost has the same influence as an enterprise in Japan, enhanced the national prestige of “Korea” with his popularity. Clap, clap, clap.
http://blog.naver.com/chijisol/10096313978
