J-Hope's Tearful Tribute To Late Grandmother For Bringing Him, Sister Jiwoo Up - 'She Was Proud Of All BTS Members'

BTS

has taken its ARIRANG World Tour to its next pitstop after a highly successful opener in Goyang, Seoul. When the septet comprising RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook walked up the stage at Tokyo Dome in Japan on April 17, ARMYs in the audience gave them the most arousing welcome. While the venue air was high on emotions, it turned solemn for another very special reason. J-Hope, who lost his grandmother days ago, took the opportunity to pay a tear-jerking tribute to her, leaving fans praying for the departed soul, too. Seeing Hobi tearing up was not something any fan would want to see, given how he is often called the Sunshine and the ever-smiling spirit of BTS.

BTS is in Japan for a two-day ARIRANG concert

During the first of the two-day sold-out concert in Tokyo, J-Hope shared that he received the news of his maternal grandmother's passing as soon as he landed in Japan. He shared that being with his bandmates when the news of her demise reached him gave him a lot of support and the strength to process the grief.

J-Hope remembers his late grandmother

"When I landed here, I heard the news that my maternal grandmother, who raised me, had passed away. I was quite flustered, but I was with the members the whole time, doing the rehearsals, and then now with all this, I think I feel a little better," J-Hope said, while addressing the audience. Holding back his tears, J-Hope added, "Honestly, usually my grandmother really is so proud of my members and me as well. If she'd been watching this show from heaven, I'm sure she would have loved it. So with that, I think today's show has become even more great. I want to thank you all, ARMY. Truthfully, I love you all. Thank you."

J-Hope's sister Jiwoo posts about their grandmother

His sister Jiwoo also took to her Instagram handle on April 17, and posted a heartfelt note for their grandmother. It read, "Time does not wait for us. Whenever I feel that the moment I wish would never come is getting closer, I find myself holding on to the past rather than the future, filled with regret. Those times that once felt ordinary have now become memories that can never return, quietly remaining within us. And in that emptiness, warm memories and love still deeply linger inside."

According to fans, J-Hope, along with his elder sister Jiwon, has been brought up by their mother, along with other cousins, and the rapper has been very close to his granny. Her passing away did affect him emotionally.

BTS ARIRANG World Tour

BTS took to the concert stage together for the first time when they kicked off their extensive world tour in Goyang last month. This was after several years of hiatus, prompted by the members' mandatory military service.BTS' ARIRANG World Tour involves 34 cities and a total of 82 concerts lasting into March 2027. With this, tOT7 will set a new record for the most tour dates by a K-pop artist ever.

BTS Japan Dome Day 1 setlist

BTS setlist for Day 1 of its Tokyo Dome show included 23 songs: Hooligan, Aliens, Run BTS, they don’t know ‘bout us, Like Animals, Fake Love, SWIM, Merry Go Round, 2.0, NORMAL, Not Today, Mic Drop, FYA + Burning Up (Fire), Body to Body, IDOL, Come Over, Butter, Dynamite, Save Me, Crystal Snow, Please and Into the Sun.Meanwhile, V's fans celebrated his first Japanese concert in seven years in the country with a massive support campaign, which they announced days ago.