With their identikit suits, sensible hair and reserved manner, Japanese politicians aren’t exactly leading the way in hipster chic. Nonetheless, they are keen to exploit Japan’s ‘cool’ culture- so keen in fact, that they are investing a projected $834 million into a Cool Japan Strategy, geared at promoting the spread of Japanese culture abroad.
The plan, which plays a role in Japanese PM Shinzo Abe’s economic growth strategy, will focus on modern popular and food culture. There have been six meetings of the committee and subcommittees dedicating to promulgating the government audited ‘cool’ to the world and members include acclaimed Japanese designer Koshino Junko and J-pop Svengali Akimoto Yasushi.
With local art forms such as anime and manga continuing to grow in global recognition, Japan has an extensive arsenal of characters and mascots to help them in their quest to advertise local culture. Politicians won’t have to look very far for hot culinary trends to show off either. Food culture is a hot national obsession, and endless hours of broadcast time are devoted to showcasing everything from regional home cooking to Michelin cuisine.
Other East Asian countries have caught on in recent years, and with the Gangnam Style phenomenon still fresh in people’s minds, South Korea is using the pop star Psy to market the country as a tourist hot spot.
Since 2002, Japan has been actively working to turn its ‘Gross National Cool’ into a new type of soft power, or “the ability to indirectly influence behaviour or interests through cultural or ideological means.” Other East Asian countries have caught on in recent years, and with the Gangnam Style phenomenon still fresh in people’s minds, South Korea is using the pop star Psy to market the country as a tourist hot spot. Both South Korea and Japan have also recently began to attempt to capitalise on local street fashion trends, to varying degrees of success.
Japan’s initial ‘Cool’ promotion strategies included investing in subtitling of dramas, anime and manga and the creation of a Japan Mall. However in the early days, no attempt was made to really engage with the creators of these products. And as any bonafide trend setter will tell you, middle aged business people in suits are hardly the arbiters of authentic cool.
Tellingly, the only real earners in this push to export pop culture were video games, with more leaving the country than entering in recent years. Politicians are now actively working on public-private cooperation to measure foreign demand.
