Post-pandemic Japan may have lost some of its appeal, especially after the limitations faced during the Tokyo Olympics and the nation’s closed-door policy due to COVID-19 restrictions. Yet entertainment giants such as Netflix and Amazon, along with Asian investors (including Kakao, together with Kadokawa) have been investing millions of dollars to revitalize Japan’s charm and capitalize on those investments. With Osaka Expo 2025 approaching, Japan will have the opportunity to once again redefine its Cool Japan Strategy and assert its soft power.
In this discussion we will explore some of the following questions:
- Can Japan re-invent the new "cool Japan" and re-establish itself as a top destination for travel and content creation?
- Could diversity, equality, and inclusion be defined in a Japan-specific way and promoted as Japan’s "new cool" besides smart cities and futuristic society?
- What kind of strategy is needed to motivate business-arts/cultural partnerships and revive the Japanese creative industries?
- Can corporate cultural responsibility become part of its ESG strategies and if so, how? Why has Japan been lagging behind South Korea and other Asian countries in creating internationally appealing content?
- What kind of cultural policies are needed in order to stimulate collaboration and support the creative industries?
- How can art and popular culture become a factor in the economic revitalization of Japan, given its commercial nature and its ability to increase the standards of living of an entire society?