Entertainment Apr. 19, 2008 - 05:04AM JST ( 5 )

TOKYO —

Japanese male celebrities have long been popular in South Korea. Johnny’s Jimusho idol Tomohisa Yamashita, 23, was mobbed by fans at Seoul’s Kimpo airport, showing just much Japanese idols are perceived as stars.

According to the Naigai Times, Johnny’s idols are widely popular among Asian fans. When SMAP singer Takuya Kimura, 35, popularly known as “Kimutaku,” visited South Korea for his film “Hero” in 2007, Korean and Japanese fans emailed each with info so his fans could be waiting for him at his hotel. The band Arashi is also very popular in Korea; 12,000 tickets for their four-day concert were sold out within one hour.

Japanese actors are also attractive in Korea, too. Joe Odagiri, 32, was welcomed by about 200 fans at Seoul airport in 2006, and 1,000 fans gathered to see Satoru Tsumabuki, 27, at a film festival in 2005.

But the Naigai Times points out the difference between Korean and Japanese fans. One showbiz journalist says: “In Japan, Johnny’s fans have an unwritten rule that they behave in an orderly manner. So Johnny’s idols will never be mobbed in Japan like Yamashita was in South Korea.”