“KOSÉ 8ROCKS” to Perform at the “Korea-Japan Exchange Festival 2025 in Seoul” – Holding a Dance Exchange Project in Collaboration with JINJO CREW

The Japan Foundation (JF) is pleased to announce that, as part of its cultural exchange program commemorating the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and Korea, it will be dispatching the breaking team KOSÉ 8ROCKS to perform at the “Korea–Japan Festival 2025 in Seoul”.

The Korea–Japan Festival was first held in 2005 as one of the main events of the “Japan-Korea Friendship Year”, marking the 40th anniversary of the normalization of relations. Since 2009, the festival has taken place annually in both Seoul and Tokyo as a symbol of cooperation between the two countries. It has grown into the largest cultural exchange event jointly created by Japanese and Korean citizens. For the 2024 festival in Seoul, the Japan Foundation dispatched the dance team “avantgardey”, whose performance attracted significant attention. In this milestone year, marking the 60th anniversary of normalization, the Japan Foundation aims to promote deeper mutual understanding and trust through performances and workshops by KOSÉ 8ROCKS.

KOSÉ 8ROCKS is a breaking team belonging to the D.LEAGUE, a professional dance league based in Japan that has the mission of bringing “a life with dance” to people all over the world. As the only team in the league that specializes in breaking, they have been garnering significant attention. The crew features world-renowned B-boys and B-girls, including ISSEI, who became the youngest and first Japanese champion of the global 1-on-1 competition, “Red Bull BC One World Final,” in 2016, and Ryo-spin, who, together with his teammates, won the “MASSIVE MONKEES ANNIVERSARY” competition in Seattle in 2019.

At this year’s festival, the celebrated Korean breaking crew JINJO CREW will also appear as special guests, engaging in an exciting dance battle with KOSÉ 8ROCKS.

In addition to their performance, KOSÉ 8ROCKS will collaborate with JINJO CREW to hold a breaking workshop for children. By providing opportunities for local children to experience breaking, and by engaging with citizens of all ages, the project aims to deepen understanding of Japan in Korea and further promote cultural exchange through the internationally recognized art form of breaking.

KOSÉ 8ROCKS Special Stage with JINJO CREW

Date	Sunday, October 12, 2025 (Performance time to be announced later on the website below)
Venue	COEX 1F Hall B (Within Korea-Japan Festival 2025 in Seoul)
Performers	KOSÉ 8ROCKS (ISSEI, COCOA, 2GOO, TETSU, YU-KI, Ryo-spin, REIMI, REN) with special guest JINJO CREW
Admission	Free (no reservation required)
Website	Official Korea–Japan Festival Website (in Korean and Japanese)

Dance Exchange Program with JINJO CREW

Program	Breaking workshop for children by KOSÉ 8ROCKS (closed to the public, open to media coverage)
Date	Saturday, October 11, 2025

Organizer: The Japan Foundation (JF)
Co-organizer: Korea-Japan Festival 2025 in Seoul Organizing Committee, Embassy of Japan in Korea
Cooperation: D.LEAGUE Inc., KOSÉ Corporation

Artist Profile

【KOSÉ 8ROCKS 】

KOSÉ 8ROCKS is a breaking team that has been part of the D.LEAGUE since its inaugural season in 2020. Sponsored by Japanese cosmetics brand KOSÉ, the crew consists of highly skilled B-boys and B-girls who have trained rigorously since childhood. Known for their dynamic and acrobatic power moves, high-speed routines, and diverse skills performed in perfect sync with music, they continue to captivate audiences both in Japan and abroad. Under the vision “Spreading smiles around the world through breaking,” KOSÉ 8ROCKS continues to explore new possibilities in dance.

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kose8rocks/
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/kose8rocks
• D.LEAGUE Official Website KOSÉ 8ROCKS Team Page: https://home.dleague.co.jp/teams/tmbp/