Jimin has always been a favorite in Japan, not just among the BTS members but among K-pop idols in general. From students to athletes, media personalities, and netizens, he is constantly being selected or mentioned as the 'number one pick,' be it in dancing, singing, or personality, among other topics. This wave of affection from Japanese nationals towards him has consistently grown through the years, and it has been witnessed yet again by prominent personalities in the past few days.
On May 17, Go Shiozaki, a Japanese wrestler and reigning Global Honored Crown heavyweight champion, posted a picture of himself wearing Jimin's 'With You' hoodie both on his Twitter and Instagram accounts. From his captions, his excitement to receive and wear the hoodie was evident, showing how much love and affection he has for Jimin and anything related to him.
Shiozaki also posted the front of the envelope shipped with the Jimin hoodie "JIMIN” on his Instagram story with a snippet of "You Never Walk Alone" and the caption "Finally it arrived"!
— JIMIN DATA | Stream With You💙 (@PJM_data) May 17, 2022
What a thrill to receive a Jimin hoodie after such a long wait! 🤗
pic.twitter.com/7v8qNTbPck
今日が寒くてよかった。#ArtistMadeByBTS #jimin#noah_ghc pic.twitter.com/Hn9vXbjLRG
— 潮崎豪 (@goshiozaki54039) May 16, 2022
In a different instance, Kiriko Isono, a Japanese comedian, actor, and TV show host, has once again mentioned Jimin during a recent broadcast of her show 'Hayaku Okita Asaha,' as reported on May 23. She narrates how she decided to pierce her ears on finding out that Jimin would be releasing a pair of earrings as one of his artist-made collection merchandise, but the earrings got sold out in a matter of seconds before she had a chance to order them.
At least 6 Japanese media outlets so far have reported on Kiriko's mention of Jimin and the story of how she got her ears pierced.
・https://t.co/NJRxl035kw
— パクジミンJP応援団 ☽ With You (@PARKJIMINJAPAN) May 23, 2022
・https://t.co/IdJHPBVTqt
・https://t.co/619klN6pqI
・https://t.co/iusbIbfJuG
・https://t.co/NDwWMLsVuR
・https://t.co/zL4b9dQBsV
+
— JIMIN DATA | Stream With You💙 (@PJM_data) May 23, 2022
👩🏻 I was scared but I decided to get it done
👩🏻 I'm well influenced by him, right? I look cute, right?
She has always admired Jimin and his talents, and it has always been relatable! 🥰 pic.twitter.com/Yba2LP5RpX
It is not the first time that Kiriko fan-girls over Jimin; she has previously talked about him and expressed her love for him on several occasions, saying how big a fan she is.
One was during the 5-day BTS special radio show, where she explicitly stated that she is a massive fan of Jimin, pointing to his transparency, his talk, singing, and dancing as the reasons why she fell in love with him.
Japanese comedian, host & actress, Kiriko Isono, mentioned Jimin during the 5-day BTS special radio show “BTS, My Best Request” by Nippon Hōsō
— JIMIN DATA | Stream With You💙 (@PJM_data) December 16, 2021
👩🏻Yes, I'm a huge fan of Jimin!
👤Why did you fell in love with Jimin-san?
👩🏻Jimin is so transparent. His talk, his singing, his dance. pic.twitter.com/jiyn4wdplO
Before this, she had mentioned him while talking about her stage fright and how nervous she gets before walking onto the stage, saying that BTS' and especially Jimin's solo songs help in calming her down during such times. She expressed her gratitude and said she walks onto the stage thinking, "Thank you, Jimin."
She had also talked about him on the same show earlier on, discussing his modern dance background that gives him ballet elements which in turn contribute to his excellent dance skills. She even highlights the different ballet positions that she notices in Jimin when he dances, sings, takes photos, or when just normally standing, and further gets excited and proud that she could stand in the same pose as Jimin.
Similarly, she spoke about Jimin during another of her shows when she read a letter from an older BTS fan and said she understands her as she is also a fan of Jimin.
Another top figure in Japan, Ayaka Hirahara, a singer and songwriter, also mentioned Jimin during her guest appearance on TBS' 'The World Unknown To Matsuko' show. The show invites different kinds of experts from different fields to discuss various topics in their fields of specialization. This time, Ayaka recommended Jimin as a male singer with "World's high pitch vocals," calling him as the 'angelic type' and listing him among other well-established Japanese idols of high caliber, which shows her admiration for him as a singer.
Read more on these events in this publication:
[UCC] Ayaka, Kiriko, and Lizzo: Japanese and American celebrities can't get enough of BTS's Jimin https://t.co/rEVNzbA10t
— allkpop (@allkpop) August 25, 2021
Jimin also absolutely dominates Japan, specifically in matters of dance. He previously won a survey for 'Best Dancer in K-pop' out of a total of 28 contestants after accumulating 16.3% of the votes as voted by Japanese netizens strictly.
He is a favorite among national athletes in the country as well, with some key names who have mentioned him and stated him as their bias, including softball gold medalist Miu Goto and an artistic gymnast and a medalist in the 2020 Olympics and other events in previous years, Mai Murakami, who in fact revealed that she only became a fan of BTS after she had become a fan of Jimin and started learning about his group.
Read more on these events:
[UCC] BTS's Jimin has taken Japan by storm as netizens select him as the Best Dancer, and more athletes declare their love and admiration for him https://t.co/bThAaYWvTr
— allkpop (@allkpop) August 10, 2021
Jimin was also previously picked as the Best Korean Dancer and 3rd overall dancer by Japanese high school dance club students.
Moreover, even the legendary ice skater Yuzuru Hanyu stated in an interview that he is studying Jimin's dance to improve his own performance while on ice, highlighting Jimin's much cooler and relaxed movements compared to his, with his flexibility and slender body as the reasons why he is captivated by Jimin's dance. For an athlete of Yuzuru's status to pay such attention to Jimin, it speaks to how good a performer Jimin is and how loved he is in the country.
Remember when Jimin was picked number 3 for best dancer by high school dance club students in Japan! He ranked first for a Korean😂 #Jimin #지민 @BTS_twt
— 💙WITH YOU, Jimin💙 (@jiminpark02) July 7, 2019
pic.twitter.com/JxKacMTdqx
[UCC] Legendary Champion figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu says he draws inspiration from BTS' Jimin's dancing as "Filter" celebrates another grand milestone https://t.co/u0dDDMdz3k
— allkpop (@allkpop) July 24, 2021
+ Not only as a skater but also in general.”
— TJP | WITH YOU BY JIMIN (@thejiminpost) July 24, 2021
The superstar, who has won all major competitions in his senior and junior career, is known for having beautiful dance lines and also confessed to admire BTS as a group. pic.twitter.com/6kX4ckubJ0
It’s important to emphasize that Yuzuru Hanyu is considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest, ice skater of all time.
— TJP | WITH YOU BY JIMIN (@thejiminpost) July 24, 2021
The pride of Japan has won Gold Olympic medals, major World championships and many more. He’s a legend, recognizing another legend! pic.twitter.com/XI9HvVSxXU
Jimin receives a lot of love and support from Japan, and his popularity will only continue to grow in the future, even as he embarks on solo activities.
SEE ALSO: BTS’ RM named first-ever global ambassador of the National Museum of Korea
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