Japan's Soft Power in Australia - Research Paper Example

s 26 July 2009 The concept of soft power has been coined recently and it is all about getting work done by cooperation, this concept is very unlike other concepts and it mainly focuses on cooperation. This paper will expansively present the concept of soft power; it will specifically throw light upon the case of soft power of Japan in Australia. To present a clearer picture the paper will present the culture and the relationship of Japan with Australia. Statement of Purpose This research proposal will mainly deal with how Japan has successfully established their Soft Power in Australia and how the same works in the favour of Japan. Significant points will be highlighted all through the research proposal. Several research questions will further help in enlightening the concept of Soft Power and how useful it can be for a country. Background The concept of Soft Power has been recently coined and it can change the fortune of a country within literally no time, Japan has benefitted a lot from their Soft Power in Australia. The healthy cooperation between the two countries is a very healthy and mutually dependent partnership. Japan is also competing with the likes of Korea and China for Asian supremacy and it is high time for them to grow by leaps and bounds in order to beat the competition presented by their rivals. Significance and Description This research is very significant because outlines the fact that hard power no longer works effectively and in order to maximize the gain this concept of Soft Power has been introduced. This proposal will mainly deal with intriguing questions that will throw light upon this delicate concept and how this is being made use of by several countries in order to establish themselves globally. Literature Review The bonding between Japan and Australia is very evident and the two countries share a great relationship be it in business or for that matter any other field. These two nations have brought in a real revolution and the chemistry that they share has been named as a "Core" relationship by people who have taken a conspicuous notice of the relationship between the two countries. This core relationship is very enticing because it guarantees safety; the level of safety is much higher when compared to any other Asian nation. This paper will expansively present Japan's soft power in Australia; in addition to this the paper will also throw light upon Japanese cultural, economic and political influence to Australia and ideology especially after World War Two. There is a very healthy interdependence between Australia and Japan, Australia plays a pivotal role in equipping Japan with necessary resources and energy security. 22 % of Japan's energy needs are taken care of by Australia. This interdependence is extremely important for both countries in order to maintain a healthy relationship with all the other countries located in and around the vicinity. "Former Western Australian premier Geoff Gallop, now an academic at Murdoch University, made exactly this point: "Our growing links to China and India [should be] put into the context of our long-term and still developing partnerships with Japan. In all of our thinking about Asian engagement we cannot ignore the strength of our links to Japan. We share democratic values, face similar demographic and social challenges, and have many interests in common in respect of regional and international issues." (Beyond the Mainstream) Methodology This research will employ the methodology of research; main focus will be on the statistics and facts. How Japan and Australia have benefitted out of this relationship will be proved by the help of several examples and most importantly focus will also be on what it takes to establish Soft Power in another country and what problems the same is capable of creating. Japan's economic political and other important aspects are pivotal and they will be taken into account in this research. The resurgence of Japan after the World War will also be discussed in this paper. Research Question 1- How have things changed after World War II 1939-1945 was a period of annihilation and utter devastation, the war still has bearing on our lives. A classic example to prove the same is Hiroshima and Nagasaki; children are still being born disabled in these two cities because of the use of Atom bomb during the Second World War. In addition to this the Japanese economy still operates in the same parameters as it used to way back in the 40s. These two examples clearly show that the war still has a bearing on our lives. Japan has always been a very powerful economic nation but it has not been able to utilize its money as well as it would have liked to. The money available in abundance has not been utilized to great effect hence the reach has been very limited. Japan's narrow policies are to be blamed for the same; Japan's 1946 anti-warfare restricted them to use military capability which was considered offensive the same hangover still daunts the nation. The first Gulf War is another classic example which proves that the policies of Japan are pretty much the same as they were in way back in the 1940s, during the Gulf War Japan provided money and succeeded in funding the war but it could not provide soldiers to fight the war and hence it was considered that Japan had lack of commitment. "Despite Japan having the world's second-largest economy and the third-largest military budget, it was seen as too timid. That began to change with the Koizumi era in 2001. Koizumi was the most confident leader since Yasuhiro Nakasone in the mid-1980s and possibly the most powerful politician Japan has seen in decades." (Lack of Reach) Research Question 2- Japan's Reaction Towards the Financial Crisis The recent financial crisis has severely affected all the major economies and the impact of the same has inevitably led to global economic recession. Japan has adopted very different approach to recuperate. In order to recuperate the Japanese economy is heavily depending upon Manga comic books. "As part of 15 trillion yen of fresh stimulus measures unveiled today, Japan hopes to raise the percentage of its exports of "soft power" - manga, animated films, video games and pop music - from 2% of the total to 18% over the next decade, creating half a million jobs." (Japan Looks to Manga Comics) Japan is very popular for technology and it is also considered a hub for latest gadgets and in order to make the most of this the Japanese government has adopted a rather unusual way of recuperating. Video games exported from Japan are amongst the largest selling games in the whole world and some of the most popular gaming companies include the likes of Konami, Capcom, and Nintendo. These companies are responsible for producing some of the most top-notch games played almost in every nook and corner of the world. Even the Japanese prime minister has openly confessed that he has a fetish for Manga comics. This goes to show the popularity of these comics and video games across the world. The Japanese prime minister is eyeing to create approximately 500,000 new jobs by 2020. Many of Manga comic sagas have been turned into TV serials and almost all have done well over the silver screen. The sale of these magazines have taken a hit in Japan because of popular video game companies have incorporated the same characters as shown in Manga magazines and they have rolled out several video games and in addition to this people in Japan have also started getting Manga stories on their mobiles and the same has severely affected the business of these magazines in Japan. In spite of this little hitch the Japanese government is very positive about this move, the Prime Minister especially expects a lot out of this move. Research Question 3- What factors have helped Japan in establishing Soft Power Japan has started believing that it is losing out to China in more fields than one in spite of that Japan still believes that their cultural and other resources are enough to compete with China. "In contrast, American scholars, not least the eminent Joseph Nye of Harvard University, who originally coined the concept of 'soft power' in 1989, merely identified three sources of soft power. According to Nye's definition, to which Japanese scholars in the main do respect and observe, soft power is gained when a country is able to attract or co-opt others without the use of force or the need for payment (i.e. corruption). The attraction is derived specifically from the democratic political system of the US, its culture (especially the form peddled by popular cinema and entertainment), and its foreign policy. In light of the fiasco in Iraq, the ostensible soft power of the US has of course suffered badly in recent years, due to its arbitrary invasion of the country, and the subsequent chaos it has caused to the people in Iraq." (Long List of Japanese Soft Power) One very conspicuous aspect of Japanese culture is the lack of communication between the people; this aspect is hindering their progress in more ways than one. In order to gain soft power great eloquence and diction is vital but Japanese people often find themselves incapable of socializing with people of other countries, let alone people of other countries it is very hard for them to actually mingle with the people of their own country. This aspect is a major hindrance which is stopping Japan from gaining soft power in Australia. Japanese Romanticism and Idealism often comes in the fray when soft power is being talked about, several Japanese scholars believe that the consumers in East Asian countries are pivotal and looking after their needs can help them establish soft power in several Asian countries. "For what it is worth, Japan does have impressive soft power in the technical, scientific, environmental, cultural and other fronts. But increasingly, these soft power have little or nothing to do with the Japanese government, or even think tanks and research foundations close to it. The Japanese ability to produce various forms of soft power, strangely but amazingly, is due to the ability and spirit of the Japanese people to penetrate Asian societies that have otherwise been Westernised or colonised first. It is this second wave of Japanese penetration that makes Japanese soft power so dominant; as fine Japanese techniques do create better Japanese services and products to which Asian population can buy and consume in large quantities and repeatedly. But there is a danger. Just as Western colonialism and market expansion allowed Japan to benefit from the "grand opening of Asia" (Long List of Japanese Soft Power) Research Question 4- How can Japan have a Stronger Japanese Economy Fundamental Importance on Home Defence: Japan should restrict sending troops far off in order to establish good control. The prime focus should be on the Korean Peninsula and it should guard itself rather than guarding some other country's territory. Building and Sustaining peace at the grass root level: Remaining an insular power is out of the question for Japan and at the same time it can't ignore its duties as a global citizen. Being globally proactive in establishing peace will provide Japan with a good foothold in becoming a soft power in more Asian countries than one. Human Development Efforts: "Japan should enhance its human developmental efforts on a global scale. What it means is that development must aim to advance the freedom to choose and consolidate its infrastructure like hygiene, nutrition, medical care, education and gender equality on the basis of solid endogenous economic foundations. Japan should become a global Japan solidly armed by human developmentalism. As a matter of urgency, Japan should help out the bottom billion people in the world with its self-sustainable course of endogenous human development." (Japan Desperately Needs a Grand Strategy) More Soft Power: It is high time for Japan to create more soft power in Asian countries and in order to do the same they must get really better at negotiating. It has all the required ingredients to become a soft power but the right mixture of the necessary ingredients seems to be missing. Japan must figure out the right way to mix these important ingredients in order to attain authority as a soft power. Innovation: Japan is way ahead of most Asian countries when it comes to innovation but there is still more required to be done in order to become soft power. China, Korea and a host of other Asian countries are moving really fast in order to prove their supremacy and if Japan are to stand any chance to do the same they have to innovate new technology and other substantial material that can help their cause. Results This paper explored various aspects of Japanese culture, their economy and a host of other important stuff. It is found that Japan is quite close to their goal of becoming a soft power but there are a few major hindrances in the way, most importantly there old policies are stopping them from the kind of progress that they can make and secondly their negotiation skills is another major factor that they have to improve upon. Success is guaranteed should they take care of these two important factors. References Beyond the Mainstream (2008). In Australia- Japan Foundation Project. http://www.ajf.australia.or.jp/docs/AJF_Manuel_Panagiotopoulos_Business.pdf (Accessed on 26 July 2009) Japan Looks to Manga Comics (2009). In The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/10/japan-manga-anime-recession (Accessed on 26 July 2009) Japan Desperately Needs a Grand Strategy (2009). In East Asian Forum. http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2009/03/14/japan-desperately-needs-a-grand-strategy/ (Accessed on 26 July 2009) Lack of Reach (2006). 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