The World War II had ended, yet Japan still has a reputation problem from other Asian countries. They still think that Japan hasn’t shown a deep remorse of the war dead, especially for the war victims from the related countries. On the other hand, Japan itself has been trying to rebuild its international image. Soon after the World War finished, Japan started whittling down its military force. It made non-military force, also known as soft power, as Japan state’s new force to get the trust back from other countries afterwards. According to Nye (2008), the term of “soft power” means to get others to want what you want through attraction rather than coercion or payment which rests on culture, values, and policies.
In Indonesia, the medium of Japan’s soft power is quite diverse, such as manga, anime, cosplay, etc. They are all though cultural acquaintance. Sumo is the newest medium which was acquainted. In August 2013, Indonesia hosted a Sumo tournament in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, as a commemoration of diplomatic relationship between Indonesia and Japan for 55 years. Despite there are some mediums in Indonesia, anime and manga are two of the most powerful mediums in Indonesia. These cultural products seem to have the best of both worlds, distinctively Japanese in style and yet have universal appeal among the youth (Lam, 2007). They have been remained in Indonesia for quite a long time. Anime has been broadcast on national television on Sundays. However, it is getting less frequent in the present day.
This paper will emphasize about Manga and Anime as mediums for Japan’s soft power in Indonesia. It is only focused on anime and manga rather than others because of three reasons. First is anime has been broadcasted on nat...
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...f Indonesian students coming to Japan as international students. Starting from 2004, there were 1451 Indonesian students studying in Japan. It reached its peak in 2012 when there were 2276 students coming to Japan. They might get scholarships from either Japan state or private companies. But, their decision to come and to study in Japan could be taken into account as a symbol of trust for Japan State. They believe that Japan offers safety and stability for them as students. They believe that Japan offers a better education quality system for them. Whatever their reasons are, they trust in Japan as a new country with a good image. If we can take a look back for a while, this is what Japan State wants. Japan attracts students to study in Japan as it hopes that they will come back to their own countries as cultural ambassadors who build friendship for both countries.
The Japanese government believed that the only way to solve its economic and demographic problems was to expand into its neighbor’s territory and take over its import market, mostly pointed at China. To put an end on that the United States put economic sanctions and trade embargoes. We believed that if we cut off their resources and their source of federal income than they would have no choice but to pull back and surrender. But the
...dying Japanese at tertiary level alone. Research relating to Japan is carried out at about thirty-seven universities in Australia. The range of research has developed to include not only the humanities, but also practical and business-related fields. Also there is a considerable amount of youth exchange between Australia and Japan. Every year Japan accepts about one hundred young Australians as government funded students. All of the above attributes are making a major contribution to the promotion of friendly relations between Australia and Japan.
Kingston begins with a brief introduction of the American occupation of Japan following World War II from 1945-1952. He notes that the principal focus of the US occupying forces was to demilitarize Japan and convert it into a democracy. Japanese troops have been demobilized and “in the first two years of the Occupation purges of thousands of officers, bureaucrats and industrialists blamed for the war were a further hedge again a revanchist threat.” (9). A policy of democratization was also important. “By spreading power within the government and among all citizens, including voting rights for women, and by supporting a robust press and unions, the Supreme Command of the Allied Powers (SCAP) was attempting to inoculate Japan from the scourge of militarism,” points out Kingston (10). Yet, the author agrees that despite half a century of what may seem to have been positive changes, the Japanese themselves are still having different opinions of the US Occupation. For instance, “conservative Japanese frequently trace many of Japan’s current social problems back to the Occupation … they see women’s legal equality, the end of the patriarchal ie system, educational reforms, the new Emperor system, demilitarization, etc., and a vague process of Americanization as harmful to the Japanese social fabric.” (16)
This book, Japanamerica focuses on how the Japanese popular culture influencing the American culture. The author, Roland Kelts take a neutral prospective in order to create this book, which is done by interviewing many significant individual who took part in establishing the popular culture in both Japan and America. Kelts investigates why the phenomenon of Japanophilia, or the “outsider’s infatuation with Japan’s cultural character” (pg.5), is occurring especially in the United States. Even though Japanophilia phenomenon arose before the twentieth century, it is increasing in number because of the anime, manga, videogames, and other medium of popular culture.
...feat of Japan in World War 2). With the changes of the nature of power, Japan by balancing out aggressive economic policies and a quiet military buildup, was able to build herself up to become a prominent player in the international sphere today. In closing, while Japan’s policies today in general have been skewered towards the arguments of the ‘Gentleman’, increasingly Japan has considered more realist concerns of security in the escalation of tensions of the East Asian geopolitical sphere. Chomin’s Discourse has nonetheless served as a prophetic blueprint for more than a century of Japan policy-making.
Media plays a large role in creating communal measures including news, publishing, radio, computer, television, and film, at this moment is almost everywhere in modern culture. Gender aspects, as an example, survive solely because civilization as a whole chooses to accept them, but they are maintained by the media. Noteworthy viewers must be conscious of what the media is presenting to them, and make sure they are not operatively partaking in a culture of unjust impositions or restraints. Even on young children, gender roles are being pushed through cartoons.
From the animated mega city of Tokyo, to the serene zen gardens with rustic ponds home to the koi fish, Japan has a unique past, present, and future. The alcove ornament samurai houses called, shoin-zukuri are a symbol of the struggling past that Japan escaped. These samurai houses were training centers long ago of judo, sumo, and other martial arts. Lush trees envelope houses, and the religion Shintoism was developed back in 500 A.D. Paintings and drawings capture the grace and beauty the landscape portrays. The Japanese dragons reveal the legends held within themselves, many are associated with rainfall and the ability to reach peace. Seeking farther inland you witness the largest city in the world, Tokyo. Cars, buses, subway systems, taxis, and bicycles are buzzing through every street, going to and from work, quickly advancing technology.
There are fundamental differences between Eastern and Western cultures and the meeting of these cultures has had several effects, both in Asia and here in the US. Overseas, you can see the juxtaposition of American pop culture on the older modes of Asian thought and society. Here, New Age religions find new excuses in Asian religions and philosophies and Anime is appears regularly on Saturday morning cartoons. Often, this juxtaposition becomes turbulent as the younger generations are caught between two seemingly opposing cultures. As a result, crime rates rise with the integration of Western ideals and culture into Asian society. This is true here in America too as the first generation of Asian-Americans are born and brought up by Asian parents, with Asian thinking, in American society and culture. This conflict manifests itself in our history as a nation as well as in modern universities and businesses.
The new Meiji Period was the starting point for Japan’s isolation from foreign countries. During the end of Edo period, Matthew C. Perry came to Japan and established the Nichi-Bei Washin Joyaku, the Japan-US Treaty of Amity and Friendship, allowing Japan to be fully open to the United States of America. Soon after, foreign officials from other countries came to Japan to make similar friendship treaties, changing Japan to be one of the global nations. From the treaty, Foreigners started to build homes and live in one of the ports opened to them, creating cultural influence on the people who had never seen foreigners. Through the opening of Japan during the Meiji Period, Westerners were able to enter and create a positive influence on Japan.
...t on music within Asian and Western society. Within the initial use of both traditional and modern musical styles and genres in order to create a diverse musical culture within a modern cultural, social, and economic movement, Japan has shown a wave of modernization through animation. With the various aspects of music that anime has approached in its spread across the globe, it proves to be a diverse and rapidly changing culture in Japan. With the success of anime in various areas on a global scale, of Japan is able to show a highly diverse subculture that originates from their nation exclusively that has impacted many different areas in life with both their close national neighbors and those who are even across the globe, showing how the large subculture within the island nation has grown since its inception and how much potential it has in the many years to come.
This paper will explore what it is about anime that makes it so appealing to even a Western audience, creating an international fan base. Although manga can be traced to American origins, the comics that the Americans brought over have been intensely modified to create essentially a new form of media. Manga and anime have become a significant component of Japanese culture, and often times they integrate Japanese culture and society. Yet, regardless of its Japanese origin, anime is still viewed on the other side of the planet. The question then becomes what is it that makes it so appealing to a foreign audience? This paper will rely heavily on Susan Napier’s book, From Impressionism to Anime: Japan as Fantasy and Fan Cult in the Mind of the
Japan has historically taken ideas from the United States on its business, merchandise, or other corporate sectors to improve within its political borders. These practices have become massive cultural and economic movements in Japan. Interestingly, Japan takes ideas and molds them into Japanese culture and style; therefore, these products are “Japanized.” To further elaborate on this statement, Japan has succeeded in its businesses and corporations such as the automobile industries around the world (for example, the NUMMI plant production transcended those of American automobile productions due to an enhanced Japanese corporate culture). Albeit many Japanese industries have roots in the United States, they have expanded globally. The music
...high power status, Japan had to have a self-reliant industrial common ground and be able to move all human and material resources (S,195). Through the Shogun Revolution of 1868, the abolition of Feudalism in 1871, the activation of the national army in 1873, and the assembly of parliament in 1889, the political system of Japan became westernized (Q,3). Local Labor and commercial assistance from the United States and Europe allowed Japan’s industry to bloom into a developed, modern, industrial nation (Q,3). As a consequence production surplus, and food shortage followed (Q,3). Because of how much it relied on aid of western powers, Japan’s strategic position became especially weak. In an attempt to break off slightly from the aid of the west Japanese leaders believed that it would be essential for Japan to expand beyond its borders to obtain necessary raw materials.
Japan is one of the greatest countries in the world and it has offered many things as well. The Japanese have given the world a better understanding of their culture and history along with a good look at the future from a technological standpoint. They have developed and created the future for their country that has allowed them to be prosperous and powerful. They once isolated themselves from the rest of the world, but now they share their knowledge with other countries in order to create a better understanding of the world. Through their trade and creative thinking they have become one of the world’s largest and powerful countries and have allowed their economy to flourish and prosper.
A comparison between modern Western countries and Japan emphasizes a large discrepancy in beliefs regarding cultural growth in the separate parts of the world (Leonardson, 2004). According to many scholars and much research done on Japan the culture is the perfect example of what cultural homogeneity means as a whole. The cultural homogeneity affects the Japanese youth in how they grow, develop, affect their communities, and live their future lives in the community; this also plays a role in forcing out crime in the country. It also affects the procedures of the police force when interacting with citizens and planning new procedures that require the help and cooperation of Japanese citizens. The cultural