Hwahae Global Co., Ltd. (CEOs Woong Lee and Kyungil Kim), which operates the beauty platform Hwahae, announced on the 5th that it held the K-beauty networking event 'Hwahae Awards in Tokyo 2026: K-Beauty Showcase' at the Trunk Hotel in Tokyo, Japan.
This event, co-hosted by Hwahae Global and Japanese distributor Story, is part of a business agreement (MOU) signed in March of last year, and was designed to support the expansion of local distribution channels and market establishment of K-beauty brands in Japan based on over 10 million real-user reviews and rating data within the Hwahae app.
The event was attended by approximately 300 Japanese influencers with a combined following of 15 million, along with 150 Japanese buyers and media outlets. Participating brands set up booths to experience their products, attracting significant interest from local influencers and buyers.
In the first session of Part 1, Kim Ye-rim, manager of the advertising business team at Hwahae Global, introduced the 2026 K-beauty trend keyword 'FIND'. The details are composed of ▲The era of precise search (Fine Search) ▲Intent aging management (Intent Aging) ▲Verification by similar people (Near-Me Proof) ▲Consumption flow based on Korean beauty users (Default K). More details can be found in the 'Hwahae 2026 Trend Report' to be released on the 24th.
The second session featured awards for 13 brands leading the "FIND" trend across three categories: Moisturizing Care, Daily Care, and Aging Care. Milva Lab, Isoi, Eolthat, S-Nature, and Freemai were selected for the Moisturizing Care category; Nesifik, Skin1004, Irecipe, and Epleme were selected for the Daily Care category; and Medicube, Mediheal, Previts, and Purelica were selected for the Aging Care category.
In Part 2, influencers toured each brand's booth, accessed ingredient information and reviews using the Hwahae app, and engaged in live Q&A. Furthermore, one-on-one business meetings were held between brands, Japanese buyers, and media, matching all 13 brands with local distributors and laying the foundation for their entry into Japan.
Kim Kyung-il, CEO of Hwahae Global, said, “This showcase marks the first time the Hwahae Beauty Awards have been presented overseas, and it marks the beginning of our expansion into a global K-beauty platform.” He added, “We expect that the combination of data-driven analysis and the expertise of local Japanese officials will inject new vitality into the beauty industries of both countries.”
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