What’s Cool about Cool Japan?: An Insider’s Look at a Domestic Reaction to an International Phenomenon

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Japanese popular culture finds success with audiences all around the world and international acclaim for media like manga, anime and video games is reported widely back in Japan, where it is described as kuuru japan (Cool Japan), a phrase that has been a household term for over a decade. As the Olympics approach and “inbound” tourism numbers reach record highs year after year and increasing attention within Japan is being paid to the country’s status as a destination for international tourists and consumers of popular culture, the Cool Japan moniker continues to be attached to government programs and private sector branding. In this lecture, Benjamin Boas, a Cool Japan Ambassador working with the government’s Cabinet Office, takes a critical look at the history of Japanese culture’s appeal abroad, the ways this appeal is spread and the differing ways the phenomenon is seen domestically and abroad.

Author Bio

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Benjamin Boas is author of "Learning about Japan through Manga and Video Games," itself a manga published by Shogakukan, and is a Cool Japan Ambassador on behalf of the Japanese Government’s Cabinet Office. Benjamin’s writing has been published by organizations including The Japan Times, The Yomiuri Shimbun and Studio Ghibli, and he regularly appears on television programs for NHK World.

After graduating from Brown University, Benjamin studied at Kyoto University on a Fulbright Fellowship and has held research positions at the University of Tokyo, Osaka University of Commerce and Keio University.

Outside of work, Benjamin is an avid mahjong player and has placed in two international championships. He holds a 2nd-degree black belt and instructor certification from the Yoshinkan Aikido Hombu Dojo.