In-Depth Interview-Based Study on the Features of Korean Culture that Attract and Repel Japanese Youth

The aim of the study is to analyze the changing attitude of the Japanese youth towards Korean culture. This study conducted in-depth interviews with 18 men and women in their 20s living in the Tohoku region of Japan to examine aspects of Korean culture that attracted and repelled them. The analysis results indicated that the interview respondents were attracted to the Korean cultural facets of ‘emotional intimacy,’ ‘practical convenience,’ and ‘fast pace,’ and were put off by the ‘insincere service,’ ‘unease with traffic-related safety,’ and ‘dirty restrooms.’ These perceptions were strongly influenced by expectation-related differences: unexpected positive experiences resulted in high levels of satisfaction and negative experiences caused acute disappointment. Thus, interactions with Korean culture are both appealing and displeasing to Japanese youth. Rather than perceiving this contrary response as a problem, the interview respondents independently accepted it as a characteristic of Korean culture. Future research initiatives should explore the generalizability of these findings by expanding the span of their surveys.