Japanese women are rushing to offer donations for Asian tsunami survivors after their idol, a South Korean movie star, chipped in 300 million won (about 30 million yen).
Donations to World Vision Japan, a nonprofit Christian organization, surged this week after word spread that its Seoul office had received a cash donation from Bae Yong Joon, 32, known in Japan as "Yon-sama."
Bae's TV series "Winter Sonata," which has aired repeatedly in Japan, has set off a craze for all things South Korean, and his frequent visits have been met by hordes of screaming female fans.
More than 200 women who identified themselves as Bae fans gave about 5,000 yen to 10,000 yen each for the tsunami survivors, organization spokesman Shiro Yajima said Thursday. Some donated more, and an overall tally was not yet available.
"We are grateful to receive so many offers," he said.
The group's Japanese Web site was overloaded with fans trying to access the page after Bae's donation was reported earlier this week. The tsunami disaster has killed some 150,000 people in 11 nations.