How Japan is Creating a New International Image Through "Cool Japan" and Pop Culture Media
Document Type
Panel Presentation
Keywords
Japan, politics, pop culture
Biography
Emily Clements is a 23-year-old Senior International Affairs and Japanese major from Paden City, West Virginia. In the fall of 2018, Emily studied abroad at Chukyo University in Japan. After graduation, Emily plans to continue studying Japanese on her own.
Major
Japanese
Advisor for this project
Natsuki Anderson
Abstract
Starting in 2013, the Japanese government has been working to increase its global power and create a positive international image. Taking inspiration from its neighbor South Korea’s “Hanryu” program, Japan decided to try its attempt at a soft power approach, “Cool Japan.” Japan is attempting to increase interest in the country through the export and advertisement of pop culture media such as video games, anime, and fashion. Despite the efforts made, the program is facing struggles such as losing funds, failure to attract as wide of an audience as it had originally intended, and various other complications.
The purpose of this paper is to bring light on the issue of the international image that Japan is attempting to create for itself through pop culture media. I will be looking into the issues that the program faces and provide possible solutions to the question, how is “Cool Japan” working to create a new image of Japan through exporting its pop culture media to attract an international audience and what are the results?
How Japan is Creating a New International Image Through "Cool Japan" and Pop Culture Media
Starting in 2013, the Japanese government has been working to increase its global power and create a positive international image. Taking inspiration from its neighbor South Korea’s “Hanryu” program, Japan decided to try its attempt at a soft power approach, “Cool Japan.” Japan is attempting to increase interest in the country through the export and advertisement of pop culture media such as video games, anime, and fashion. Despite the efforts made, the program is facing struggles such as losing funds, failure to attract as wide of an audience as it had originally intended, and various other complications.
The purpose of this paper is to bring light on the issue of the international image that Japan is attempting to create for itself through pop culture media. I will be looking into the issues that the program faces and provide possible solutions to the question, how is “Cool Japan” working to create a new image of Japan through exporting its pop culture media to attract an international audience and what are the results?
