What is big in TOKYO in first half of 2004

AD Agency DENTSU released "the top 10 Product trends" for the first half of 2004 in Japan.
1. The Olympic's in Athens : 9 more days!!
2. DVD recorders : give me one!
3. Bittern : pleases check past articles.
4. Bae Yong Jun: a Korean Actor
5. Last Samurai : I did not see.
6. Lord of the Rings : I went to see.
7. Haru Urara: A horse which lost more than 100 races.
8. Sekai no chushin de ai o sakebu = Sekachu: A novel, a pure love story.
9. Fixed Rates for Data Packets: for mobile phone services.
10.Thin TV's(JP): I need.

They also highlight these trends:
1. People are buying and consuming more products and services because of their increasing prospects and an upturn in the economy. High quality and pricey products are increasing in sales.
2. Simple, strong, spritual messages in content is becoming popular.
3. People are creating comfortable in their lives by themselves, different from the past passive healing boom.

Any ways, the most interesting item that caught my eye would be the Korean actor Bae Yong Jun. Many Japanese woman cry watching drama on TV and call him "Yong sama". Many people analyze why, all of a sudden, Korean drama like "Winter Sonata" is popular in Japan?. Someone mentioned that it the directness, serious nature, purity in simple love stories that remind middle-aged Japanese woman of thier younger days - dreaming of being a girl again!

Okay, actually it is very hard to find a "Prince riding on white horse" type guy in Japan now. I could remember we had this type of soap opera long time ago... So many Japanese woman feel a sort of nostalgia and search for their lost pheromones again. I agree with this observation.

I would rather increase my adrenalin watching soccer and the Olympics!

Comments

[Puddles]

Thank you for telling us what was big in Japan in 2004!

What was big in the UK for 2004?

1. Poor handling of Athens Olyimpics - big fun for everyone as stadium isn't finished yet!
2. European Championships 2004 - Watch England lose at Soccer. Again!
3. Lord of the Rings - went to see.
4. Last Samurai - went to see too.
5. Glastonbury 2004 - 2 million wanted tickets!
6. IPod - Music for the masses. I don't need.
7.Franz Ferdinand - More music for the masses. I do need.
8. Low cost flights to Europe. Cheap Holiday for masses! I did do (went to Prague for weekend).
9. Camera Phones and 3G - rubbish looking Mobile phones for the masses - I do NOT need.
10. The UK gets it's first High Speed Train line!