JYJ3’s Note: “Asahi Shinbun” is one of the largest Japanese daily newspaper, with 7.64 million copies issued per day (via @miar815)
It was an unusual sight in a way. Kim Jejung, a member of Korean trio artist, JYJ, had his solo live concert last June 26 at Yokohama Arena, Kanagawa Prefecture. Fans’ screams even had tearful tinge in it, and there were some fans who couldn’t stop crying. This scene looked similar to when JYJ held a concert at Tokyo Dome this April after three years. When Jejung, Kim Junsu and Park Yoochun appeared on stage, fans’ shouts of delight had a tearful tone, and some fans kept crying while holding towels.
These three [JYJ] have hardly been able to do any entertainment activities in Japan these past four years. They brought a case against their former management company in Korea as they were unsatisfied with the content of their contract with the company. In 2009, when they were at the peak of their popularity as members of “Tohoshinki”, Avex also ceased management of their activities in Japan and made a statement announcing a halt of activity of the three. Since then, their entertainment activities decreased sharply in both countries [Korea and Japan].
Yet their fans went out of their way to watch their live concerts in Europe, America and Asia where holding their activities was possible, and fans kept looking out for their videos and information on the web. This spring, after the expiration of the contract between the three and Avex, they held their concert at Tokyo Dome which drew as many as 150,000 people in total during three days of concert.
This time, 45,000 people flooded to the solo concert [of Jejung] for three days.
A popularity phenomenon that had an explosive increase due to a sense of starvation is called hunger marketing. JYJ’s popularity at present is being boosted by a sense of fans’ starvation.
Source: Nami Hamada of Asahi Simbun
Picture: TopStar News
Translated by: 848bati
Shared by: PrinceJJ + JYJ3
Tagged: 2013 Grand Finale KJJ Live Concert & FM in Japan, 2013 JYJ Concert in Tokyo Dome, AVEX, Jaejoong, JYJ
JYJ3 
Wow, at long last one of the largest Japanese daily newspaper (not a Tabloid anymore) is caught by Prince Jejung of JYJ.
LOL at hunger marketing ( I don’t know if it has positive or negative connotation in the original article and how a native Japanese speaker take that term) , but yes Kim Jaejoong, we need a DVD of your Yokohama concert and a FULL, yes FULL (we’re not on diet) Japanese Album, ASAP since we’re very HUNGRY of your music.
@kris
if this popularity phenomenon is spurred out of “fans hunger”, let it be. literally over time, if it’s the same food, “nakakasawa”. but with chef Jae, totally a different story, expect varieties, lol! & the secret is not on the food but the cook. Yokohama was yet the appetizer we missed for long, yes, COOK a FULL album (we’re not on diet 😀 ). Jae, we need good food for the rest of our lives 🙂 do we sis?
Yes, we are the HUNGRY BUNCH when it comes to Kim Jaejoong and JYJ generally. If the chef is Kim Jaejoong we don’t mind to throw our diet out of the window forever and indulge ourselves in the food he serves for eternity :)…we could even EAT the chef but then there will be no food….but still tempting nae….kekeke
What to do, the Yokohama appetizer is making my pile of CD’s in hiatus, listening instead to fan-audio compilation.Tthe appetizer is so strong that crazily excites our taste buds making us drooling, wanting for more 🙂
“LOL at hunger marketing (I don’t know if it has positive or negative connotation in the original article and how a native Japanese speaker take that term)”
kris, that struck a negative chord for me, but reading the positive comments makes me feel better that perhaps I took it the wrong way. I too wonder how native Japanese take this article, would be interesting to get their view.
On your positive note… Jaejoong, Live Japan FULL Album please.
@IjyjNjoy
This article gave me a sudden shift of reaction. At first I was happy that a reputable paper is talking about them (JYJ) which didn’t happen /during and after that explosive Tokyo dome comeback, at least after those few Jaejoong’s Japanese radio broadcast appearances, here’s another development. But the term “hunger marketing” struck me, it’s like a mockery but then I re-read the whole article and decided to stop being bitter about it. Hope some Japanese fans can share their reaction to this news because even though an article is accurately translated but the tone of how a term is being used/said is also very important to understand what exactly the writer is trying to convey to his reader. Aside from that, all other things he wrote are fair/true enough even with the use of
” expiration of the contract” instead ” of winning the lawsuit” thus JYJ had been able to do the TD concert because apparently the lawsuit is still going on which hopefully will be concluded next month.
But above all, I’m more interested and excited on your positive note Kim Jaejoong Japanese Full Album
I always believe Jaejoong is browsing fansites, he likes to communicate with fans, hope he’ll grant what we madly wish for.
kris, those “…” were the same trigger words for me. The “expiration …” at first I thought it was cover-up, debatable, don’t feel like going there, I like your conclusion. On “hunger …” the writer did say popularity was “boosted” and not “because of”, so the positive highlights outweigh the negative (unless a jfan gives feedback), its good.
And if Jaejoong is reading this site, I hope he doesn’t get irritated but here goes for the nth time…
Kim Jaejoong Japanese Full Album…….pureese (no hunger marketing for album ok)
WE JUST HUNGER FOR JYJ NO STARVATION NEEDED…. NOW GIVE US WHAT WE WANT
It is because they are still well liked, and popular that such hunger marketing is applicable. Otherwise, it will be out of sight, out of touch!
As such, they are gems to the advertiser!
I can’t wait for their Album! JYJ Comeback soon!
Doesn’t marketing have to be done intentionally by the person or group trying to be popular? In this case, it is 100%
being forced upon them. I guess if someone you love is forcibly taken away from you and you miss them, it is marketing???
Oh, well. At least this big newspaper is talking about them. I look forward to the day when they are able to sing and entertain without it being a news story though.
@Lisa
I agree marketing has to be done intentionally, but when your options are limited, you go with what you can. Scarcity can be just as useful as abundance. When something has the ‘rare’ factor attached to it, it becomes more valuable. That’s why items on auction go for way more than its original price. Especially if that item is one of a very few. Let’s be honest, by virtue of less media attention, JYJ and its separate members, are in scarce supply. I look upon this entire situation as the result of unintended consequences. Blocking the members of JYJ has only made the desire for them stronger. And for those who are willing to wait it out, the payoff is tremendous!
Reading your positive optimistic views has calmed me down. Why I felt so infuriated when reading this article, feeling like this is the great cover-up, just too sensitive this morning perhaps. The Avex explanation and the word marketing had me up the tree, so thanks, I’ve come back down, somewhat…
Grammatical typos continue to affirm my membership in Typos ‘R US. 😀
@ljyjNjoy
When reading anything posted about JYJ it’s always best to take a deep breath, then read it more than once. Saves on keeping your sanity and blood pressure strong. 😉
True, I did go back just now after swallowing the optimistic pills, I can see that for those who were unaware of the jyj situation, this article may spark curiosity and bring to light the truth. 7+ million readers, hopefully the right persons will read and ask questions 🙂
(it also helps to read with a clean mind, I read it with a very upset frame after reading on another website how popular hm is there, popularity cm 500,000+, yh 300,000+, and Jaejoong 200,000+, and how successful their Japan Dome concerts were and I just about sh-t. I thought they were a sinking ship but now I wonder what the he- -. I am so in the dark about those two, it came as a shock, haven’t quite recovered)
@BAF
Is it just me or did it rankle anyone else that the report stated “This spring, after the expiration of the contract between the three and Avex….. etc” ? The “expiration”?? The members of JYJ were able to resume performing in Japan because they PREVAILED in the lawsuit with AVEX, not because their contract simply expired!! Grrrrr…
When the wind is blowing behind you, there is no way to go against it. JYJ are good at getting the wind to blow their way by being such good guys without fault. It must be really maddening for those trying to oppose them. It always turns out wrong.
@Lisa
“JYJ are good at getting the wind to blow their way by being such good guys without fault.”
I agree. That’s why I feel that a good updated strategy is for the guys themselves to initiate what they need fans to do for them. Of course, this pre-supposes a working dialog is established between the I-fans and C-jes. I think it’s possible that some of our ideas are not what the members might want at all, especially regarding further agitation and calls for public action regarding SM. But if the members were to tell us fans “Here’s what we need you to do” I’m betting we’d have a much better rate of people jumping onboard to do it.
🙂
Keep posting sooner or later it will cross their eye sites if he idea is good enough.
Yes still a member of typos anonymous
I think that the new JYJ Magazine focusing on friendship is a brilliant idea. They have been defined by the lawsuit and fight with SM. In order to move on and in my opinion to ever get passed the age of being blocked, they need to define themselves for who they are, not who they are in reference to SM. That’s why I hope fans don’t do projects which draw attention to the fight with SM. Media are not going to cross what SM wants and JYJ need to take the focus away from SM.
But I don’t think stars can communicate with fans like that. The media would find it out easily and then it would be an embaressment to the artist.
Ha Ha…. a blessing in disguise
They quote :- their entertainment activities decreased sharply in both countries [Korea and Japan]. .. This is indeed unfair treatment given by the South Korean broadcast station to them, eventhough their lawsuit has been finalised. Why these stations still did not open their door to JYJ to perform? Is SM Entertainment is behind all the blockage? This is indeed by far , the mostt corrupted allignment between thems. I hope the government of South Korea will do something about it, as JYJ being a Hon ambassador of the Asian Games. Just piss off with all this, Sorry guys!.
I know how you feel, this article triggered the same thoughts for me too. Corruption and Sabotage…
@maria
Of course SM is behind the continued blacklisting of JYJ in SK. We all know this much, at least I hope. The reasons are rooted in SM’s understanding of WHO JYJ ARE. The three are quite possibly the most talented and charismatic idol singers EVER in SK history. Left to promote freely on their own, they would give the lie to SM’s and for that matter all the SK entertainment companies’ bogus promises/threats that singing groups can’t have a career unless they are backed by one or the other of them. JYJ proves that this is not so. That if you are good enough, people will love you and support your work. Their success further proves that just doing all that they’ve done, without national exposure on TV and radio, they have become multi-millionaires in the space of 2 years as opposed to being arguably the top performing idol group ever under SM’s banner and as it turned out when they left, they owned NOTHING and left with nothing. These facts, if left to be widely publicised, would spell real trouble for the big entertainment companies in SK. Other idol singers might get “ideas.” And so JYJ, the scapegoats for daring to defy the system, are banned by an entire industry.
Thumbs up! Japan loves JYJ, JYJ loves Japan. Their mutual love is heartwarming. And I’m not exagerrating here. Despite the decline of Hallyu Wave in Japan, one of the biggest newspaper in the country make a scoop about Jaejoong and JYJ. What else can we call this except for love. Do you guys think JYJ will be invited to this year’s Kohaku Uta Gassen?
If they release a japanese album this year…i hope they would be invited
Reblogged this on murasaki 紫.
i have to admit to a full blown OCD hunger for them. i need a daily dose of anything, music, news, dramas-musicals, anything to stay in touch with them and cheer them on. yes, we need a full cd and hopefully soon-JJ is one non stop right now and i still love every song but i am also anticipating junsus cd (full) mind you and thankful that they give us this much. have to agree that this advertising/lack of just makes us more hungry for them and willing to devote time and money to support them. yeah, who spent some savings in april to go to the tokyo dome? (me). each event is so special and we all want to experience and be part of it cause who knows what the future will bring yet? they won’t stop trying but how long will sm hold out too? til they are bankrupt and gone? sooner or later the rest of the country of SK will lay sm to rest and move on. right?
Hi girls,
As a Japanese ajunma fan, let me comment on the article. Only excepting K drama magazines and some women’s magazine, JYJ has been ‘ignored’ by Japanese media. So my first impression was ‘Wow They did it! – or JJ did it !!to be exact!’ Whether if it’s a negative or positive comment, it is quite hard, however, we see an another term like ‘hungry spirit’, and here being hugry is used positively. So I simply interpreted that ‘hungry market’ was ‘long- awaited’. FYI this writer of Asahi is a lady, so I just guess she might have waited for JYJ too , haha.
cloud nine
@cloud nine
Hello. Thank you very much for your feedbacks, now I can smile 🙂 for this article
(‘Wow They did it! – or JJ did it !!to be exact!’
So is it just right to thank Ms. Asahi Writer? hope more writers will take interest.
Again, thank you and hope you’ll drop by more often. 🙂
cloud nine, ditto what kris wrote. I really appreciate you taking the time to address our concerns, thank you!! 🙂
Thank you @cloud nine you cleared up some of my concerns, along with @Lisa’s keen observations, the article has a less negative slant 😀
Hi kris, ljyjNjoy, xiaspearl12,
Thank you for your warm words. I was a bit nervous since it was my first comment and people visiting here seem very young, like my daughter! Sorry for my not- good -enough English writing. I just wanted to say that most Japanese fans are happy to find this article in Asahi Shimbun, which is the most prestigeous newspaper in Japan. Of course many pointed that the writer made a mistake about the conflilct with Avex, which is not a contract issue, still Japanese fans are grateful for her writing and we think it a good step for JYJ in Japan. In this sense I think it is a positing article.
Hi cloudnine,
I am so happy to hear your opinion, that the article is positive and the Avex issue is discussed. Looking at the situation positively, because the writer did mention Avex, more will become aware of the situation and if she in fact is unaware of the background, maybe someone will inform her. Perhaps more discussion on the issue will bring to light the arduous journey of these three young men, the corruption and sabotage they’ve had to deal with, basically because of one man, from SM and one from Avex who has been badly influenced by him. I find it very scary, the arrogance of “if I cannot own you, I will destroy you” like a real life movie, the writer could tell a very interesting story hehe wishful. Like you say, “this is a good step in the right direction.” I really like your… ‘Wow They did it! – or JJ did it !!to be exact!’ …and one day when they are on television or able to perform at any venue without interference or just free from the evils that try to destroy them, I’ll remember those words as the beginning, the break through to the happy ending of their story.
Again, thank you for your comments. I think many here are not that young (I am only young at heart), but just have fun thinking young. I am fairly new here too. I hope like kris mentioned, your visits here will be often 🙂
@cloud nine
A warm WELCOME, I’m also a mommy-fan, lol, not young at all and I’m one of the group practicing our English here 🙂
Please feel comfortable to drop some comments or just a simple Hello and how gorgeous Jaejoong is (or J-Y-J) 🙂
Hi and thanks to everyone. I’m happy reading all the comments. At the same time it makes me proud coz all of us with the same
thought delivered what in our mind about JYJ especially Prince Jaejoong today with a bit nervous and shocked! It’s shown what is Jaejoong means to you. Like Kris I’m one of the group practicing our English here.
I’m JYJ fans, and love Jaejoong very much. I hope I can find new friends here ^^
Hi Roses thanks for coming and sharing with your JYJ family from all over the world I am from small town USA Merrillville, Indiana and I need to learn Hangul and quick…