"K-Fashion Garnering Overwhelming Support from Japanese Women in Their 10s to 40s... What's Behind the Popularity?"

Korea Ranks First as Favorite Fashion Country Among Japanese Women in Their Teens to 40s
France Leads for Women Over 50, While Men Prefer the U.S.

There is a noticeable preference for K-fashion among young women in Japan. A recent survey found that Japanese women in their 10s to 40s selected Korea as the most preferred country when referring to overseas fashion trends.

The photo is not related to specific content of the article. Photo by TASS Yonhap News

According to local Japanese media outlet Maidona News on September 14, a survey conducted by second-hand trading platform "Rakuten Rakuma" of 1,200 men and women aged 15 to 86 nationwide found that Korea ranked as the overwhelmingly top preferred fashion country among women in their 10s to 40s (61.5% in their teens, 64.7% in their 20s, 45.2% in their 30s, and 35.2% in their 40s).

Notably, among women in their teens and twenties, Korea has ranked first for 10 consecutive times since the survey began.

Among Japanese women in their 50s, "France" was the most selected. France was ranked first with 24.7%, followed by Korea and the U.S. at 23.5% each. Among women aged 60 and older, "France" also ranked first with 35.2%.

Among Japanese men, the U.S. has maintained the top spot for eight consecutive times across all age groups. The "Amekaji style" (American casual fashion) continues to be consistently popular among all generations.

The most common reason for choosing Korean fashion was "the affordable price makes it easy to buy," cited by 50% of respondents. Maidona News pointed out that being able to enjoy fashion without financial burden through low-priced clothing, as well as the influence of K-pop artists and celebrities, are important factors.

Meanwhile, those who preferred Korean fashion were found to be highly active on mobile platforms such as Instagram (51.5%), YouTube (26.5%), and TikTok (23.5%). Among those preferring French fashion, "Instagram" was the highest at 28.9%, but "magazines" also accounted for a significant portion at 24.6%.

Women in their 10s to 50s picked Instagram as the most important source for fashion information, whereas men in the same age range used YouTube the most.

There have also been media analyses on why K-fashion is popular in Japan. Recently, Yahoo! Japan reported, "The reason Korean beauty and fashion appear polished and sophisticated is due to Korea's unique values and social environment."

It particularly noted that, in Korea, people are relatively less hesitant to take selfies or show their faces. The culture of considering how one looks in photos as a part of self-care from a young age is said to have led to the high interest in appearance and fashion.

It was also pointed out that, while in Japan there is a strong tendency to express individual tastes and uniqueness, in Korea, there is a greater emphasis on overall harmony and refined style. The "well-put-together" style that is highly valued in Korea is perceived as sophisticated by Japanese consumers.

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