Ji Chang Wook, who boasts an astonishingly popular Instagram following of over 26 million people, made his appearance at the Tokyo International Forum in Marunouchi, Tokyo.  This concludes his Japan tour.

Sankei Sports hit ‘Chan-kun’ just before the performance.  He talked about his impressions of the tour, his future prospects, and his country’s excitement with the visit of Shohei Ohtani (29) of the U.S. Major League Los Angeles Dodgers.

Starting in Osaka on the 8th, 6 performances in 3 cities attracted a total of 20,000 people.  On this day, he greeted the crowd of approximately 5,000 people in Japanese, saying, “Hello, everyone. I missed you!”  He enthusiastically sang 15 songs, including his new song “The Wind Of Spring” and a cover of Kenshi Yonezu’s (33) famous song “Lemon.”

It was a hectic time with 30 minutes before the performance, but he appeared in the interview room with a gentle smile and greeted us in Japanese, “Hello.  Nice to meet you. I’m Ji Chang Wook.”

Q. Your first Japan tour has finally come to an end.  How do you feel now that the final is here?

A.  First of all, we have performed five times so far (in Osaka, Fukuoka, and Tokyo), and all of them ended successfully, so I feel great.  At first, I was very worried.  However, I’m glad that the fans are happy with it.  I also hope that today’s performance will go safely and happily until the end.  I am truly grateful.

Q. You just released your second single “The Wind Of Spring” on the 13th.  Tell me how to listen.

A.  It’s a song that’s perfect for spring, and it’s a song that makes you feel very comfortable when you listen to it in spring, so I’d be happy if you could listen to it as it is during this season.

Q.  Singing in Japanese was difficult?

A.  It was very, very difficult. Also, it was a lot of stress and difficult work, but I’m really grateful to the Japanese music team who worked with me because I think they were also having a hard time.  Thanks to that, we were able to finish the recording successfully.  The fans are also listening to it and are really happy with it, so it’s very rewarding.

Q. Regarding your future activities in Japan?

A. I want to improve my Japanese, and I want to continue playing music forever.  I hope to be able to do something collaborative as an actor in Japan,” he said, eager to become a two-sword singer and actor.

Q.  South Korea is buzzing with the visit of Shohei Ohtani (29) of the American Major League Baseball Los Angeles Dodgers, the originator of the two-way game.

A.  Ohtani has many fans in Korea as well.  I am also active in Japan as a Korean actor.  So, I want to do my best and show you a good side,” he said with a smile.

Credit:  Sanspo.com; photos by Spring Company