Cool Japan Rebooted (Week 11)

For much of the 20th century, Japan’s global influence was rooted in its economic power. But in the 21st century, a different kind of strength has emerged: cultural soft power. And nowhere is this more evident than in the government’s Cool Japan initiative.

Launched in 2013, Cool Japan aimed to formalize and support the global spread of Japanese pop culture. From anime and manga to fashion, food, and design, the initiative sought to amplify the cultural exports that were already organically winning fans worldwide. The idea was to convert Japan’s aesthetic appeal into diplomatic and economic capital. The government appointed, Ambassadors of Cute, Anime Ambassadors, and created the International Manga Award.

One symbolic moment came in 2016, when then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appeared at the Rio Olympics dressed as Super Mario. It was a playful yet strategic move that showcased Japan’s cultural icons as part of its national identity. Abe later explained, “I borrowed the power of Japan’s characters because I wanted to show Japan’s soft power.”

However, the government’s efforts met mixed success. Critics noted that the government’s attempts often felt top-down and lacked the authenticity that made Japanese culture so compelling in the first place. Cultural coolness, after all, is difficult to manufacture. It must be lived, shared, and adopted organically. Despite generous funding and high-profile campaigns, the initial version of Cool Japan failed to fully resonate.

In 2024, the Japanese government has launched a revamped version of the initiative with a broader and more strategic scope. This time, the goal is not just to attract anime fans, but to turn cultural admiration into geopolitical advantage. In the face of rising global tensions—from U.S.-China rivalry to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—Japan is explicitly trying to leverage soft power as a tool of national security and diplomacy. They aim to “enhance the brand value of Japan so that the people who make political and economic decisions and have influence in countries and regions around the world will also become Japan fans, making Japan an indispensable presence in the international community.”

Initiatives now focus on:

Developing young creative talent and sending them abroad;

Supporting translation and critique of Japanese literature and manga through local cultural lenses;

Creating curated content for film screenings and digital platforms in countries with strained diplomatic ties.

Grow its overseas market to 20 trillion by 2033.

Whether the new Cool Japan can overcome the challenges of state-driven branding remains to be seen. But what’s clear is that Japan is no longer leaving pop culture to chance. It’s turning kawaii into strategy.