This MA thesis focuses on the three waves of Japanophilia that appeared in the United States between 1876 and 2011 by questioning how they came into being, why they changed/disappeared, and what...Show moreThis MA thesis focuses on the three waves of Japanophilia that appeared in the United States between 1876 and 2011 by questioning how they came into being, why they changed/disappeared, and what constituted their uniqueness. The appearance, display and promotion of Japanese visual arts and culture are considered in the context of shifting power dynamics in the world that altered according to political changes, military conflicts, economic booms/downfalls, and the globalisation of culture. As a primary goal, this thesis explores the identity of stakeholders who played an important role in importing and promoting Japanese art and culture into the United States. At the same time, the thesis elaborates on the nature of the imported, exhibited and consumed Japanese artistic and cultural products and the variety of the main platforms and events at which these appeared. Finally, in reflection to the various socio-cultural, economic and political events, the thesis examines how the inflow of Japanese art and culture have shaped American public opinion, and vice versa, in the past and the present with assumptions towards the possible future.Show less
During the last decade, inbound foreign tourism rate in Japan underwent an outstanding escalation: from 5.22 million in 2003, the number of tourists visiting the country skyrocketed to 19.3 million...Show moreDuring the last decade, inbound foreign tourism rate in Japan underwent an outstanding escalation: from 5.22 million in 2003, the number of tourists visiting the country skyrocketed to 19.3 million in 2015. The government made active efforts towards this achievement as part of the strategy to strenghten the Japanese image abroad, as well as its national brand. A necessary part of this strategy was constituted by Japanese food, following the international popularity that it enjoyed in the recent years. As the global interest for authenticity and uniqueness grew especially in regards to food and tourism, this resarch tries to understand why Japanese government is using food as a product to give legitimization to its entire national brand, specifically by selling it through tourism consumption, to then establish which strategies are being adopted in order to reach this scope.Show less
In 2020 the Olympic Games will be hosted by Japan. In this article, several ways in which the Japanese government will try to attract as many tourists as possible will be covered, with the 'Cool...Show moreIn 2020 the Olympic Games will be hosted by Japan. In this article, several ways in which the Japanese government will try to attract as many tourists as possible will be covered, with the 'Cool Japan' strategy as introduced by the MOFA in 2002 as the red line. The strategy will be considered from several political views, including the Soft Power view as suggested by some. In analyzing (tourism) spaces, Foucault's Heterotopias will be used as theoretical groundwork. It will become clear that the Cool Japan strategy of the Japanese government carefully selects and combines several cultural products in order to build and project a politically meaningful image to the outside world.Show less
This thesis discusses the question of how an understanding of Japanese politics and culture affects the popularity of Ghibli films with a political message, and what this means for the efficacy of...Show moreThis thesis discusses the question of how an understanding of Japanese politics and culture affects the popularity of Ghibli films with a political message, and what this means for the efficacy of Japan’s pop-culture diplomacy. One of the goals of MOFA’s 2006 pop-culture diplomacy is to further the understanding of Japan by disseminating culture, but it does not seem to have the desired effect. To discuss this I have used a reception study using reviews by US and Japanese reviewers. The movies discussed are both by Isao Takahata, one of Studio Ghibli's founders and main directors. The movies are Pom Poko and Grave of the Fireflies. To set the stage I have discussed literature on Ghibli films and domestic politics, cultural heritage and history of Japan. Some key theories are Koichi Iwabuchi's fragrant/odorless theory on culture, Joseph N. Nye's soft power theory and Douglas McGrays's "Japan's Gross National Cool", which has been adapted by the Japanese government as their Cool Japan campaign. To test the efficacy of the dissemination of Japanese culture, politics and history to garner understanding overseas, online reviews were used. Using a content analysis on the reviews I have studied the main points and opinions reviewers from both countries have on both movies. Using Koichi Iwabuchi's odorless/fragrant theory I have then explained why there are differences in appreciation of the movies. These differences in appreciation and understanding prove that MOFA's 2006 pop-culture diplomacy does not work well as it does not attain the goal of gaining understanding of Japanese culture.Show less
Over the past decade Japanese popular culture has become increasingly well-known, and Japan has attempted to actively promote this development through its nation branding program 'Cool Japan'. This...Show moreOver the past decade Japanese popular culture has become increasingly well-known, and Japan has attempted to actively promote this development through its nation branding program 'Cool Japan'. This thesis analyses whether Cool Japan can be considered a successful program in the Netherlands when it comes to exhibitions as a vehicle for Japanese soft power by looking at three exhibitions: Cool Japan (2017, National Museum of World Cultures), Kingdom of Characters (2014, Japanmuseum SieboldHuis), and Hello Kitty - Hello Holland (2011, Japanmuseum SieboldHuis). Three separate analyses cover to what extent Japanese institutions are involved with these exhibitions, how visitors experience the exhibition and whether they learn anything new at all, as well as the exhibitions' effect on Dutch consumerism of Japanese popular culture.Show less
The 2017 Cool Japan exhibition held at the Volkenkunde Museum in Leiden had to translate the Cool Japan phenomenon in their exhibition. This phenomenon refers to the popularity of Japanese media...Show moreThe 2017 Cool Japan exhibition held at the Volkenkunde Museum in Leiden had to translate the Cool Japan phenomenon in their exhibition. This phenomenon refers to the popularity of Japanese media and the subsequently created image of Japan as a young, creative and harmless country. The exhibition took many key aspects of the dominant associations created by the phenomenon and used those in their exhibition structure. The exhibition was meant to recontextualize these images by providing cultural and historical context. This thesis tracks the actual contextualization of the exhibited images on two levels of meaning making. Firstly, it analyzed the exhibition on the level of sensuous experience, in which it was questioned how the exhibited objects were presented, both on their own and in relation to each other. It questioned the impact an object had and how it impacted the interpretive processes of the visitor. Secondly, it analyzed the exhibition on a textual level, questioning whether the supplied narratives would provide recontextualization. It also questioned what information was delegated to what type of text and whether nuance got lost in the object texts that often go unread. This thesis found that indeed the needed nuance and context often got lost in the exhibition’s bombast and distribution of key information in object texts. This leave the visitor the possibility of only reinforcing the often stereotypical impressions of Japan, fueled by the Cool Japan phenomenon. However, the exhibition did provide a platform for a multitude of different voices and perspectives. This created a more circumspect view of the many actors involved in the production, consumption and reconstruction of the Cool Japan phenomenon. It is an example of an ethnological exhibition that recognizes a complex web of (interpretive) communities that are all involved, one way or another, with such a cultural phenomenon.Show less
Abstract In the recent years Japanese pop culture has become an essential medium in the nation-branding strategy “Cool Japan”. The government has invested in Cool Japan especially in the Asian...Show moreAbstract In the recent years Japanese pop culture has become an essential medium in the nation-branding strategy “Cool Japan”. The government has invested in Cool Japan especially in the Asian region as there are still lingering tensions over Japan’s imperial past. This thesis explores how popular culture is used in nation-branding strategy in two countries that were occupied by Japan during the Second World War, Indonesia and South-Korea. How Japan implements nation-branding in South Korea and Indonesia and whether Japan uses a specific approach with consideration to historical memory and if a pattern can be distinguished is still under-examined, and therefore wishes to contribute to this discussion. This research uses policy analysis to assess the Cool Japan policy approach in South Korea and Indonesia. As Cool Japan is largely reliant on soft power, this study also tests Joseph S. Nye’s theory of soft power as a general theory applicable to Japan. My findings demonstrate that the ideal conditions for nation-branding strategy to work, depend on how the countries in question (South Korea and Indonesia) view the country that implements nation-branding(Japan). Therefore,Cool Japan nation-branding can only succeed in countries that have a relatively positive image of Japan.Show less
