Singapore media: "Cool" in Japan, why can't we push it out?

Singapore's "Straits Times" September 1 article, original title: Is Japan lost its "cool" factor? "Cool Japan Fund" is a strategic institution of joint public and private investment to promote Japanese cultural output. However, the fund may be revoked after being repeatedly criticized due to major losses and failure to achieve its goals.

The councils such as the financial system held by the Ministry of Finance in Japan are considering taking a reorganization proposal that if the "Cool Japanese Fund" fails to improve its performance by the end of this year, it will even face the abolition of the fate. Toyama Kazuki Toyama Kazakhstan said: "Frankly speaking, we are losing to South Korea in South Korea. The decisive defeat of the field. "There have been many single -stop" Bulletin Top 100 Singles List ", which is popular all over the world. The black comedy movie "Parasitic" became the first non -English best film in Oscar history.

Even so, the Japanese government culture and tourism strategic adviser Benjamin Bosce said that South Korean music, television programs and movies may be welcomed by the world, but Japan does not focus on pushing its entertainment products to the world because It's big. Japan continues to occupy a dominant position in the field of video games and animation.

Dr. Wang Yiguang, who studied soft power affairs at the School of Public Policy at the University of Tokyo, also said that the "Cool Japanese Fund" did not win the strong support of some well -known people because he was worried that "the government participated in and may interfere with their work."

However, it is clear that soft power is not limited to entertainment, but also includes other fields such as culture, food and handicrafts. The "Cool Japan Fund" was established in 2013 to support the Japanese government's "Cool Japan Strategy", thereby promoting Japan's output soft power, and at the same time created business opportunities for Japanese companies abroad. The fund invests in those companies that can improve Japanese culture and consumption abroad. Both Japanese entertainment, food and products belong to this category, and obtain returns based on the profitability of the investment projects.

However, the "Cool Japanese Fund" continued to lose money. As of the last fiscal year ended in March this year, the fund has accumulated a total of 30.9 billion yen (about 1.52 billion yuan -editor's note). Since March last year, the total loss has increased by 7.8 billion yen. Boace said the biggest mistake of the project lies in its "short -sighted brand positioning." "Few people like this kind of self -touted name," he said, "Japan is cool but 'Cool Japan' is not cool." Wang Yiguang said: "Cool Japan 'is a public -private partnership project. Failure to make a profit in the calculation of profit or loss. However, it is far more difficult than this is to measure the positive impact of improving the overall image of Japan from a business perspective. "

The shareholders of the "Cool Japan Fund" include all -day air airlines, Takashima Department Stores, and Video Game publishers Bandai Nanya Palace. The fund suffered many defeats. In 2020, the Japanese Gourmet City of the Singapore Testa Plaza Shopping Center suddenly closed after 4 years of opening (the fund withdrew from the Gourmet City in 2019 -editor's note). In addition, the fund was withdrawn from the Malaysian store in Isendan, Japan, when the store opened only two years.

Officials who are responsible for the "Cool Japan Strategy" of the Ministry of Economic and Industry of Japan have enumerated some risks, such as the long -lasting new crown pneumonia epidemic affecting tourism, and "it is difficult to predict the tastes and preferences of overseas people." Boias lamented that Japan lost opportunities for relaxing the restrictions on the epidemic prevention border. "The best way to increase Japan's soft power assets is to ensure that existing fans can effectively come into contact with these assets." He said, "Everyone who comes to Japan will like it. After returning to China, they will tell all their relatives and friends. How great Japan is. "

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