Economic Stimulus and Soft Power

Prime Minister Taro Aso of Japan recently unveiled the new Japanese economic stimulus plan and said that one area he wants to focus on is in capitalizing on Japan's soft power and hopes to create a large number of jobs in the anime and manga industry.

TOKYO (AFP) — Japan's manga and anime heroes could come to the rescue of the recession-hit economy, Prime Minister Taro Aso, an avid fan of the country's cartoons, said in a speech Thursday.

"The word 'manga' has entered the global lexicon... Japan has materials that attract consumers around the world such as animation, games, fashion -- so-called 'Japan Cool'," the conservative premier told a press conference.

As the world's number two economy is struggling with its deepest post-war recession, Aso said the government could facilitate overseas exports of manga, video games, fashion and other "soft power" cultural products.

"Many Japan-based fashion magazines enjoy top-level popularity" in the Chinese market, said the 68-year-old premier.

"By linking the popularity of Japan's 'soft power' with business, we wish to grow it into a major industry worth 20-30 trillion yen (200-300 billion dollars) and create 500,000 new jobs by 2020," he said in a speech.

Known for his sometimes gruff manner, Aso has sought to soften his image in recent years by casting himself as a Japanese "otaku" -- someone whose hobby borders on obsession -- by praising manga.

While this may seem like a good idea, it also runs counter to the trends that are occurring in the industry. Increased domestic production does not mean increased foreign consumption as you have to deal with licensing and distribution issues in your foreign markets.

Sources:

AFP
AFP 2nd Link
Anime News Network

Robots, Space, and Public Diplomacy

Japan is apparently aiming for walking robots on the moon according to this AP article.

Japan hopes to have a two-legged robot walk on the moon by around 2020, with a joint mission involving astronauts and robots to follow, according to a plan laid out Friday by a government group.

....

Other recommendations by the group include using space research as a tool to foster diplomacy with other countries and developing an advanced satellite to predict and monitor natural disasters.

Beyond the novelty of walking moon robots, there another item of interest mentioned in the article that relates to Japanese PD. The group proposing the robots for space research also recommended

promoting research into military satellites, such as an early warning system for detecting ballistic missile launches and systems to detect and analyze radio waves sent in space.

which is especially of note when tied to the a second quote in the article.

The Strategic Headquarters was established last year by a law passed to advance Japan's space technology and exploration. It allows the country, which has a largely peaceful constitution, to use space for military defense.

Given regional tensions concerning Japan's use development of military ability, I'm surprised I haven't seen anything else about this.

The "Good Nazi of Nanjing" movie

The BBC had an article on Thursday about a new movie being produced that tells the story of Nanjing through the perspective of John Rabe, a German business man and member of the Nazi party.

A statue of John Rabe outside his former home in Nanjing
Rabe's house in Nanjing is now a museum and centre for peace studies
"After such a long time, there should be a way of dealing differently with the responsibility they have, rather than trying to avoid it or make it disappear," he says.

John Rabe is expected to be widely viewed in China after it premieres at the Shanghai Film Festival in June. But it is unclear whether the film will be released in Japanese cinemas.

The film's producers hope that the involvement of Japanese star Teruyuki Kagawa will prevent the film from being silenced there.

Teruyuki Kagawa plays the emperor's relative, Prince Asaka, who was the top ranking Japanese officer in Nanjing at the height of the atrocities.

During the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal in 1946, Prince Asaka denied any massacre of Chinese and said he had never received any complaint about his soldiers' conduct.

Controversially, the film speculates on his involvement in the decision-making process.

Teruyuki Kagawa says: "When faced with this film, many people will be shocked [to learn] the Japanese carried out such cruel acts.

"I think Japanese people will find the two hours very hard [to watch]."

The film recently opened in Germany, and the BBC article noted that

The passage of time has allowed Germany to review its own wartime actions, notably the Nazi genocide of some six million European Jews during World War II.

Now with historical distance, the 37-year-old director hopes the film will trigger a new dialogue and help Japan also come to terms with its own past.

Reddit, a news aggregation site, has a thread about the BBC article that brings up the issue of textbook and history revision debates that are occuring in Japan, especially about issues surrounding WWII.

Soft Power

Considering that we were talking about soft power last class I find it rather interesting that Prof. Joseph Nye is rumored to be the next Ambassador to Japan. Nye is considered the originator of the term soft power and recently (1/15/09) gave an interview to the Yomiuri Shimbun about the state of the world and what challenges the world will face in the coming year.

Nye believes that the US will start emphasizing soft power more in the international realm.

On the international side, I think Obama will be important for restoring America's soft power, in a sense that his election makes the United States more attractive. But whether he can continue this will depend upon his policies, and his policies I think will be more multilateral than [President George W.] Bush's policies. And I think he will pay more attention to working closely with allies and international institutions.

I find interesting his comment that the US needs to see itself as a provider of global public goods to the entire world. Nye doesn't dismiss hard power, rather seeing the use of hard power as a necessity in certain situations.

[Q] What are the present national interests for the United States and how do you think the Obama administration should design its grand strategy?

[A] I think the U.S. should see itself as a provider of global public goods--things that are good for the U.S. but good for other countries as well.

So if you think about the analogy of Britain in the 19th century when it preserved freedom of the seas, that was good for Britain, but it was [also] good for other countries. And the United States has to play a similar role whether it's keeping open international markets or even taking the lead on issues such as climate change. I think these global public goods are going to be the central issue, or should be the central issue of American foreign policy and how we define our national interests.

It seems to me that to be able to fully provide global public goods, like freedom of the seas, the use of hard power is needed. The global response to the Somalian piracy situation by ramping up military and semi-military patrols in the area would be an example.

What are your thoughts?

"Proactive" Diplomacy (Japan Times)

Hirofumi Nakasone, Japan's Minister of Foreign Affairs, gave a speech on Jan. 28 to the Japanese Diet detailing Japan's "dynamic" public diplomacy push in the future. This push calls for a more "mature" partnership with South Korea, resolution of the Kuril Island/Northern Territories border issues with Russia, as well as continued assistance in Afghanistan and Pakistan. An article on Japan Times called this "Proactive Diplomacy."

Specifically addressing PD in his speech, Nakasone said:

Strengthening Public Diplomacy and Exchanges with Other Countries

Increasing the understanding and trust that other countries have in the basic orientation of Japan's foreign policy, such as in the policy areas I have just discussed, contributes to the smooth advancement of our foreign policy. For this reason, Japan will undertake dynamic public diplomacy. In addition, Japan will strategically engage in public relations regarding points of cultural appeal, from traditional culture to pop culture, while promoting the Japanese language and intellectual exchanges as well. In addition to proactively providing assistance with the bidding activities that will bring about the holding of the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2016, we will further promote exchanges in the area of sports.

Strengthening Japan's Diplomatic Infrastructure

Last but not least, I would like to emphasize the importance of strengthening Japan's diplomatic infrastructure. To respond swiftly to the numerous diplomatic challenges and to protect appropriately the lives and property of Japanese nationals overseas, it is vital to improve its diplomatic infrastructure, including diplomatic missions and staffing, as well as information gathering and protection, in ways reflecting the demand. We will develop Japan's diplomatic foundations and further enhance Japan's diplomatic capacity winning the support of the Japanese people.

Conclusion

I have visited a large number of countries and interacted with the people of each of those countries since before I began my tenure as Foreign Minister and up to the present day. What I have felt in common in all my travels is that, in every country, regardless of a country's size, people love their own country and hold pride in it. Our Constitution proclaims, "We desire to occupy an honored place in an international society." I believe that in just that way, it is important to be trusted and respected by other countries and to build a nation of which Japan's citizens can be proud.

As I stated at the beginning of my remarks, diplomacy aims at ensuring Japan's national interests, namely the security and prosperity of Japan and the lives and property of the Japanese people. I believe that diplomacy also means maintaining the nation's honor and prestige and ensuring that citizens can hold pride in their nation.

Japan's science and technology capabilities, its human resources, and its history of overcoming numerous difficulties are all points of pride on the world stage. Now, as the international community faces a growing number of challenges, Japan is pursuing proactive diplomacy. I firmly believe that Japan's proactive diplomacy and its accomplishments in the international society will lead to the Japanese people gaining confidence and pride in their own nation. I believe that the ruling and opposition parties should pursue our diplomatic goals fully in concert, as diplomacy transcends party interests. I therefore ask for the support and cooperation of the Japanese people and of the honorable members of the Diet, transcending party lines.

Looking at the goals Nakasone would like to accomplish, how feasible do they seem? Given that he calls for diplomacy through pop culture (or pop diplomacy) [In addition, Japan will strategically engage in public relations regarding points of cultural appeal, from traditional culture to pop culture, while promoting the Japanese language and intellectual exchanges as well.] are these goals that are likely to been fulfilled in the near future or will they not be fulfilled until 10+ years down the road?

Do you see the idea of cultural goods transmission as form of the passive audience assumption where Japan gives its message to other nations and they then understand the message the same way it was sent? How effective do you think government directed pop diplomacy really is?