Japanese transnational cultural power
Question: What factors have contributed to Japan 's transnational cultural power in Asia? Do you agree that Japan 's transnational cultural power intersects with its postcolonial ambition?
Even though Japan is no longer the colonial power in Asia, it still has a strong presence over Asia due to its cultural power within the region. Through various forms of media and popular culture, Japanese culture has spread to not only Asia but also many Western societies. There are many factors contributing to this cultural power. Although the Japanese government has various policies to support the spread of Japanese culture, many Asian countries on the receiving end are accepting of this and want more of it. On top of this, there are also economical and technological factors contributing to the spread of Japanese culture. However, this cultural power that Japan possesses does not necessarily intersect with Japan’s postcolonial ambition. If Japan’s cultural power is related to their postcolonial ambition, then with the rise of the Hallyu wave, South Korea would be doing the same. Also, Japan’s colonial ambition lied mostly in Asia however, Japanese culture has not only dominated Asia, it has also infiltrated the West.
Culture is increasingly a more important field within Japanese diplomacy and the government has taken various steps to promote and create a positive image on Japan and Japanese culture (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, n.d.). Through cultural diplomacy, the Japanese government is able to transmit Japanese culture, ideas and traditions to the rest of the world. After the nuclear crisis, Japanese boy band Arashi lent a helping hand through their video ‘Message from Japan’ to promote tourism (Kyodo, 2011). Other examples include the “Anime Ambassador” project in 2008 to increase interest of Japan through anime and the Foreign Minister’s Prize for the best Cosplay at “The World Cosplay Summit” in Japan since 2007; all brought out by the Ministry of Foreign
Even though Japan is no longer the colonial power in Asia, it still has a strong presence over Asia due to its cultural power within the region. Through various forms of media and popular culture, Japanese culture has spread to not only Asia but also many Western societies. There are many factors contributing to this cultural power. Although the Japanese government has various policies to support the spread of Japanese culture, many Asian countries on the receiving end are accepting of this and want more of it. On top of this, there are also economical and technological factors contributing to the spread of Japanese culture. However, this cultural power that Japan possesses does not necessarily intersect with Japan’s postcolonial ambition. If Japan’s cultural power is related to their postcolonial ambition, then with the rise of the Hallyu wave, South Korea would be doing the same. Also, Japan’s colonial ambition lied mostly in Asia however, Japanese culture has not only dominated Asia, it has also infiltrated the West.
Culture is increasingly a more important field within Japanese diplomacy and the government has taken various steps to promote and create a positive image on Japan and Japanese culture (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, n.d.). Through cultural diplomacy, the Japanese government is able to transmit Japanese culture, ideas and traditions to the rest of the world. After the nuclear crisis, Japanese boy band Arashi lent a helping hand through their video ‘Message from Japan’ to promote tourism (Kyodo, 2011). Other examples include the “Anime Ambassador” project in 2008 to increase interest of Japan through anime and the Foreign Minister’s Prize for the best Cosplay at “The World Cosplay Summit” in Japan since 2007; all brought out by the Ministry of Foreign
References: Billboard. (n.d.). Korea K-Pop Hot 100. Retrieved December 09, 2013, from Billboard: http://www.billboard.com/charts/k-pop-hot-100 Blair, G. J. (2013, March 03). Japanese Hit Drama Hanzawa Naoki Sells to Hong Kong, Taiwain. Retrieved December 09, 2013, from The Hollywood Reporter: Retrieved December 09, 2013, from GlobalPost: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/middle-east/091216/iran-korea-tv?page=full Iwabuchi, K. (2011). Uses of Japanese Popular Culture: Trans/nationalism and Postcolonial Desire for 'Asia ' Kono, K., & Hara, M. (2011, December). Archives. Retrieved December 09, 2013, from NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute: Park, K. A. (2011). The Growth of the Cultural Industry and the role of the Government: the case of Korea TVB. (n.d.). Drama. Retrieved December 09, 2013, from TVB Network Vision: http://www.tvbnetworkvision.com/en/channels/drama#programme=Hanzawa-Naoki