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Tokyo reboots its ‘Cool Japan’ soft power initiative despite past missteps
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Two Swedish cosplayers pose as characters from the Studio Ghibli film My Neighbour Totoro at the World Cosplay Summit in Nagoya on Aug 3.
PHOTO: AFP
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TOKYO – Japan is giving its soft power vehicle Cool Japan a major reboot, putting behind past missteps and buoyed by record tourism numbers and a belief that Japanophiles are “expanding and diversifying” in their numbers and “deepening” their love for the country.
This restart plan is mapped out in a 54-page policy document issued in June, which also noted a surge in interest in Japan’s “content industry” – an umbrella term for media such as anime, film, music and games – due to the proliferation of Japanese content on streaming services.
