Cool Japan

Cool Japan is a word created by the American journalist Douglas McGray, which nowadays often refers to the successful Japanese popular culture, and in particular J-Pop. Since then, the term was first used in May / June 2002 in the article Japan 's Gross National Cool, in response to the "Cool Britannia " concept, coined this concept of media has been repeatedly eventually used by other authors, and even from the Japanese side to the emergence of a new, positive image of Japan to describe.

Background

Although Japan in the so "lost decade " of the 1990s designated economic difficulties and political problems faced and in 1995 two national traumas had to overcome ( Omu Shinrikyo attack and earthquakes of Kobe ), could the Japanese entertainment and creative industries since the mid record of the 1990s, international marketing success to a great extent.

Japanese comics, cartoons, video games and an accompanying merchandising it achieved worldwide success since the 1990s. These successes have been recorded both in economic terms as well as in symbolic capital, the nation branding. Connected with this international rise of other cultures were influenced by the so-called " J- lifestyle " to the next J-Pop, Manga, Anime and Cosplay products like Robopets (eg Aibo ), Sudoku, J - literature, video games and drama are.

McGrays neologism is today increasingly used in scientific analysis Japanese popular culture as it has been carried out, among others, by Koichi Iwabuchi or Anne Allison. Even in the political sphere J-Pop was exploited relatively early. A prominent statement to J-Pop as prestigious export and as a medium of cultural diplomacy is carried out by former Foreign Minister Taro Aso in April 2006. In his speech at the " Digital Hollywood University " in Akihabara (Tokyo) politicians encouraged the representatives of the Japanese creative industry, to make a lasting cultural diplomacy contribution to their field.

Use in Japan

After "Cool Japan" was established in Western commentary on the successes of the Japanese entertainment industry, the slogan was instrumentalized by the Japanese side as a predicate. So were considered by politicians Culture in 2005 to refer to a generation of followers of Japanese animated films worldwide with the help of this concept. So put the " discussion group on the promotion of cultural diplomacy" ( bunka ni kan suru Gaiko no Suishin kondankai ) on 11 July 2005 Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichirô a report ( " For the establishment of a Peace State of cultural exchange in Japan " ) before.

Criticism

Although the government side would gain a Image and relies on the slogan, there are also critical voices from political and intellectual circles to the use of " Cool Japan " in this context. Thus, it was often spoken of a controlled campaign, although not representing in retrospect as a targeted, bundled or state-led offensive, especially since Japan internationally mainly presented the picture of a reluctant reform system in recent years. Other analyzes have gone so far that it was not a question at "Cool Japan" to the real Japan, but a " fictitious Vanishing Point ".

Contradictory be, that Japan should be the same "cool", but in the 1990s, growing social indifference ( " Japanese precarity " ), mental deformation (about the phenomena Otaku, Hikikomori, Freeter, NEETs ), hopelessness and disorientation had occurred.