Japan SPOTLIGHT March/April 2014 issue

Japan SPOTLIGHT March/April 2014 issue

COVER STORY: Japanese Culture - Enigma or Soft Power?
A country's culture can be represented by many products, both tangible and intangible. Animations, films, cuisine, and fashion may be symbols of a national culture, but people's customs, behavior or mentality are also crucial in determining the general image of a country.

The March/April issue highlights this cultural complexity in Japan and its possible role in foreign policy, assuming that the power of a culture can sometimes have consequences for diplomacy.