More than a platform for K-pop fans: Weverse helps Japanese artists expand their global reach Related Article K-pop generations collide, connect at 2026 Weverse Con Festival K-pop star-studded Weverse Con Festival draws largest crowd since its launch Your favorite local artists' Korean gig isn't really about Korea

The Tokyo-based management company Asobisystem saw a surge in popularity for its artists, including girl group Cutie Street, following its collaboration with Weverse. A single appearance on a Korean music show helped Japanese girl group Cutie Street find listeners in places that its agency had barely reached before: North America and India. After the eight-member act appeared on Mnet's "M Countdown" (2004–) in March, one of the most recognizable stages in K-pop's distinctive promotional cycle, the response to its performance resounded far beyond Korea. Interest began to pick up in North America and, more surprisingly, India, where the distinctively frilly girl group had seen very little reaction, according to Yusuke Nakagawa, the founder and CEO of the Tokyo-based management company Asobisystem. "Establishing a foothold and presence in Korea is extremely important for us as we look to expand our artists' global reach," Nakagawa told reporters during an interview on Sunday. "One thing we realized through Cutie Street is that exposure on Korean music shows leads to increased sales in overseas markets." Nearby markets, such as Southeast Asia, had already shown signs of interest, Nakagawa said, but India was different, as that was "a market where [Cutie Street] had seen almost no response before." "So the fact that appearing on a K-pop music show generated new interest there was very significant for us," he explained. His interview on Sunday was with Moon Ji-soo, the CEO of Weverse Japan, on the second and final day of the 2026 Weverse Con Festival, where Cutie Street opened the day's lineup on the outdoor stage at Olympic Park's 88 Lawn Field. Asobisystem, founded in 2007, centers its artistic direction on Harajuku culture, a collection of Japanese youth subcultures known for its whimsical and unbridled fashion. The company also operates Kawaii Lab., an umbrella project that includes multiple idol groups, including Cutie Street. Kawaii Lab. opened channels for five groups comprising 38 artists on Weverse in July last year. Weverse, a fan community platform owned by K-pop powerhouse HYBE, has increasingly expanded its presence beyond K-pop acts with Japanese artists such as imase, Yoasobi and Lilas creating fan communities on the platform since Weverse Japan was established in 2022. But the collaboration with Weverse extends far beyond the platform itself, as the platform operator also provides consultation and data analysis that help shape promotion strategies. For Asobisystem, for example, Weverse helped the company access local networks in Korea, drawing on its own promotional machinery and understanding of K-pop's fan culture. "The buzz that we were able to create in Korea came from our collaboration with Weverse," Nakagawa said. "For Cutie Street, once the concert [at the music festival] was organized, Weverse immediately came to us with proposals. From booking music shows to planning the overall promotion, they consulted with us and supported us throughout the process." One of the areas in which Weverse Japan helped its Japanese partner was navigating the complexity of K-pop fan culture, including the custom of preparing food, beverages and other small gifts for fans attending music shows to support their favorite artists. Nakagawa admitted with a smile that he was initially hesitant when he first heard the idea of sending a coffee truck to fans, a practice unfamiliar in Japanese fan culture. But he said that he is now glad that the company went through with it. Thanks to the collaboration with Weverse Japan, Cutie Street saw its Korean fandom grow fourfold between the group's first Korean concert in March and its upcoming Seoul concert in July, according to Nakagawa. Another key difference, he added, was the way in which K-pop fans actively bring new listeners into the fandom. "I was very surprised by how high K-pop fans' social media literacy was," he said. "They would crop and edit music show videos uploaded on Yo...