It’s no secret that Japan is cool; people around the world heap praise on it for everything from its anime and video games to its trash-picking soccer fans.
On the other hand, “Cool Japan,” a government initiative aimed at promoting the country’s culture abroad, has been derided by critics as anything but. One of those critics, Benjamin Boas, was recruited as an ambassador by the office in 2016. Six years later and he now says the officials in charge of bolstering Japanese soft power — the very ones who hired him — are largely missing the point.
From ‘Cool Japan’ to ‘Your Japan,' by Benjamin Boas.288 pagesCROSSMEDIA PUBLISHING, Nonfiction.