Author ORCID Identifier
0009-0007-8893-3313
Abstract
This article explores how Japanese K-pop fans responded to anti-Korean sentiment in the 2010s, particularly in the wake of xenophobic protests such as the 2013 Shin-Okubo demonstration. Drawing on Antonio Gramsci’s theory of the “war of position,” this study examines how fans— primarily young women without institutional power—engaged in affective and discursive resistance through everyday digital practices. Based on qualitative analysis of tweets posted in reaction to a hate rally announcement, this paper demonstrates how fans used emotional expressions, ethical arguments, and humor to challenge nationalist narratives. These tweets not only rejected hate speech but also redefined national identity by asserting an alternative framework of civic and ethical belonging. This article introduces a culturally and politically charged figure: the “Korea-loving Japanese.” These individuals reframe the boundaries of national belonging in contemporary Japan, proposing that affection for Korean culture can coexist with a critical, reflexive form of Japanese identity. Their actions constitute a form of “affective citizenship,” rooted in emotional labor, ethical reasoning, and cultural participation rather than ethnicity or state allegiance. This study makes a timely contribution to the growing body of scholarship on fandom activism, digital resistance, and transnational cultural politics, highlighting the potential of popular culture and affective practices to reshape the boundaries of political subjectivity in the digital age.
Recommended Citation
Yamamoto, Joho
(2026)
"Fandom in Conflict: How Japanese K-pop Fans Countered Anti-Korean Sentiment in the 2010s,"
Kritika Kultura:
No.
49, Article 18.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.13185/1656-152X.2257
Available at:
https://archium.ateneo.edu/kk/vol1/iss49/18
