BTS Jin's Front-Page Newspaper Tops Amazon Japan Charts… Heatwave of Popularity in Japan

BTS Jin is experiencing a surge in popularity in Japan, solidifying his unique presence. Jin is currently on his first solo fan concert and first solo world tour, '#RUNSEOKJIN_EP.TOUR'. Five major Japanese sports newspapers – Sports Nippon, Daily Sports, Nikkan Sports, Sports Hochi, and Sankei Sports – dedicated their front pages to news of Jin’s fan concert tour on July 12th and 13th. This marks the first time any Korean solo artist has been featured on the front page of all five newspapers simultaneously.

Long lines formed at convenience stores near Kyocera Dome Osaka, where the '#RUNSEOKJIN_EP.TOUR in JAPAN' concerts were held on July 12th and 13th, as fans rushed to purchase the newspapers. The newspapers quickly sold out in many locations, demonstrating Jin’s overwhelming popularity.

The newspapers featuring Jin’s tour on the front page topped Amazon Japan’s “Hot New Releases” chart and became the #1 best-selling Japanese book, showcasing his immense power.

Jin began his tour with two performances in Korea on June 28th, followed by two days each in Chiba, Japan (July 5th-6th), and Osaka (July 12th-13th), delivering fantastic live performances to enthusiastic crowds. Jin sold out every seat at all venues, including the Korean performances in Goyang and the shows in Chiba and Osaka, in a matter of seconds.

Dubbed the ‘Visual King’ and ‘Live King,’ Jin opened up all seats, including the 8th floor (the highest level) and obstructed-view seats, at the Kyocera Dome Osaka on July 12th and 13th, responding to fan requests. He completed his Japanese tour with a perfect live performance in front of a packed audience. It’s extremely rare in Japan for a concert to sell out even with the 8th floor and obstructed-view seats open, surprising many Japanese fans. Even when BTS held concerts at Kyocera Dome, the 8th floor wasn’t typically opened.

Jin’s solo mini-album #2, ‘Echo,’ and its title track ‘Don't Say You Love Me,’ released on May 16th (Korean time), reclaimed the #1 spot on Spotify Japan’s Top Song chart on July 15th (data as of July 14th). ‘Don't Say You Love Me’ has now held the #1 position for 41 days, demonstrating its continued strength.

The 41-day #1 streak for ‘Don't Say You Love Me’ is the longest-running #1 record for a K-pop male solo artist on the Spotify Japan chart. Jin is continuously breaking his own record. It’s also the longest-running #1 record for a K-pop solo song without any featured artists, and the second-longest record among all K-pop solo artists, following Rosé & Bruno Mars’ ‘APT.’

Jin is the only K-pop solo artist to have more than one #1 song in Spotify Japan history. He topped the chart with ‘Running Wild,’ released in 2024, and is now continuing his #1 streak with ‘Don't Say You Love Me.’

‘Don't Say You Love Me’ also topped the Spotify Global chart (data as of May 25th), becoming the first song of 2025 by an Asian artist to reach #1 on the global chart.

‘Don't Say You Love Me,’ which has also topped the charts in Korea multiple times, is one of only four Asian artist songs to reach #1 on the Spotify Global, Korean, and Japanese charts, alongside Jungkook’s ‘Seven,’ Jimin’s ‘Who,’ and BTS’s ‘Dynamite.’ It’s also one of only three songs by Asian solo artists to achieve this feat.

Written by Mun Wan Sik

Translated by Lee So Yun