Home
Business
Metro
Nation
World
Sports
Feature
Opinion
View more »Opinion Columns
Wan LixinOpinion deputy editor of Shanghai Daily
In search of history to inspire rural rejuvenation
New thinking needed in tackling our water issues
Sunday
- Subscribe
Related News
Japan tries schoolgirl diplomacy for size
Source: Agencies |
March 13, 2009, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
EVER seen an ambassador dressed in pastel frills? How about a diplomatic envoy in a mini-skirted school uniform?
In a bid to raise its international profile, Tokyo has appointed three young women as cultural envoys because they represent Japan's long-running craze for all things cute.
Inspired by the characters in Japan's distinctive "anime" animated films and "manga" cartoon books, one of the new ambassadors dresses as a schoolgirl, another as a Victorian doll in voluminous frilly skirts.
The third of the women, presented at a news conference yesterday, was a singer dressed in a polka dot shirt with a bunny print, a look that has made her a fashion leader in Tokyo teens' favorite haunt, Harajuku.
Japan wants to exploit the popularity of the "kawaii" (cute) culture, which has influenced young people in Asia and Europe.
"It's all about mutual understanding," said Tsutomu Nakagawa, the head of the cultural affairs division at the Foreign Ministry. "We want people abroad to know these kind of people exist in Japan and to feel close to them."
Japan has been making concerted efforts to boost its "soft power." "You get people to love your culture and use that as a way of gaining power around the world," said Phil Deans, professor of international relations at Temple University's Tokyo campus. "America has a lot of soft power, because people like American culture."
The ambassadors are schedule to speak at Japan Expo to be held in Paris this July.
In a bid to raise its international profile, Tokyo has appointed three young women as cultural envoys because they represent Japan's long-running craze for all things cute.
Inspired by the characters in Japan's distinctive "anime" animated films and "manga" cartoon books, one of the new ambassadors dresses as a schoolgirl, another as a Victorian doll in voluminous frilly skirts.
The third of the women, presented at a news conference yesterday, was a singer dressed in a polka dot shirt with a bunny print, a look that has made her a fashion leader in Tokyo teens' favorite haunt, Harajuku.
Japan wants to exploit the popularity of the "kawaii" (cute) culture, which has influenced young people in Asia and Europe.
"It's all about mutual understanding," said Tsutomu Nakagawa, the head of the cultural affairs division at the Foreign Ministry. "We want people abroad to know these kind of people exist in Japan and to feel close to them."
Japan has been making concerted efforts to boost its "soft power." "You get people to love your culture and use that as a way of gaining power around the world," said Phil Deans, professor of international relations at Temple University's Tokyo campus. "America has a lot of soft power, because people like American culture."
The ambassadors are schedule to speak at Japan Expo to be held in Paris this July.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
