Winter Sonata
The first Korean drama to gain widespread popularity in Japan was "Winter Sonata", which was broadcast on the NHK satellite channel NHK BS2 in 2003. The program was aired twice in the same year due to high demand from viewers. NHK also hosted a classical concert featuring "Winter Sonata"'s tunes performed by Korean musicians. Korean dramas boost tourism between Korea and Japan, and is considered a possible way of improving strained relationships between the two countries, as series have become increasingly popular with Japanese viewers. Conversely, the series "Iris" had several pivotal scenes shot in Akita, Japan, which led to an increase of Korean tourists in that part of Japan.