Seoul, Korea – CJ E&M announced that KCON, one of the largest K-culture conventions celebrating all things Hallyu (or Korean wave in English), is coming to Japan this April.

Titled “KCON 2015 Japan”, the event is set to take place at Saitama Super Arena, north of Tokyo, on April 22. Since its launch in the summer of 2012, KCON was first introduced to the U.S., and has become what some American media note as an “annual pilgrimage” for fans of Korean pop culture.

With KCON 2015 Japan, CJ E&M plans to expand the convention’s platform beyond North America, combining the already-popular M COUNTDOWN in Japan with other K-culture elements, such as K-beauty, fashion and food. Small- and medium-sized Korean companies whose products are closely related to K-culture will participate to introduce and promote their brands, while showcasing what is hip and trendy in Korea at the moment.

Japan is a place where the popular interest in K-culture (or better known in Japan as Hallyu) initially took off, and the love of all things Hallyu continues among different age groups, as demand for Korean television dramas and K-pop concerts stays put. KCON 2015 Japan hopes to take this further, by localising convention programmes to include K-pop cover dance competition and Korean-style beauty session, as well as Korean language lessons.

To successfully promote the event, KCON 2015 Japan has named Korean-Japanese singer Yasuo Namekawa, better known by his stage name Kangnam, as its brand ambassador. Debuted in 2011 as a member of K-pop hip-hop group M.I.B, Kangnam has recently become a well-known television personality, following his appearance in a popular Korean entertainment show. Kangnam is expected to do media interviews and other promotional activities for KCON 2015 Japan.