Japanese hip-hop dancer enjoys immense popularity in Korea after starring in Mnet's survival program

Kyoka Yamamoto is seen during an episode of Mnet's "World of Street Woman Fighter." Courtesy of Mnet

Japanese hip-hop dancer Kyoka Yamamoto has become a sensation among Koreans — a rare achievement for a Japanese woman — thanks to her outstanding performances and charisma in the latest series of Mnet’s popular survival reality show, “Street Woman Fighter.”

The ongoing third season of the show, titled “World of Street Woman Fighter” (WSWF), expands the show’s original format into an international contest, featuring six crews from Korea, Japan, the United States, Australia and New Zealand.

Born and raised in Osaka, Kyoka is a core member of OSAKA Ojo Gang, a seven-member project crew that represents Japan.

Out of the 24 dancers competing against each other as national representatives, the 29-year-old has received significant attention from Korean viewers, not only for her charismatic stage presence, but also for her authentic confidence and iconic character.

Kyoka was born in 1996 and began dancing at the age of 8, quickly garnering recognition as a world-class dancer. She became the first Japanese dancer to win the global hip-hop competition Juste Debout in France at the age of 19, and has won many other international competitions.

Although Kyoka was relatively unknown in Korea prior to the show’s premiere on May 27, she has since become extremely popular.

From the first episode, she captured viewers' attention as she stepped onto the stage with hair slicked back, wearing black lipstick and smoky eye makeup. She then mesmerized with her unmatched expertise, unapologetic confidence iconic fashion style and contrasting cute voice.

While many have commented that she resembles a real-life anime character, Kyoka also embodies the popular female archetype in Korea known as “Tetonyuh,” which is a term blending “testosterone” with “woman,” which describes a strong, empowered woman with dominant energy.

Online communities and social media were flooded with posts containing praise and video clips of her after the show aired on Tuesday.

“I don’t know if I want to be her or date her,” wrote one commenter, while another said, “She is already world-class, yet she is so humble and has such a solid philosophy on dancing … I respect her with all my heart.”

As of Wednesday, her Instagram acount had surged to over 520,000 followers, up from around 190,000 before the show began.