Why Japan thinks China’s growing cultural clout is something it needs to counter

2026.03.17 22:20 Illustration: Henry Wong China and Japan’s long-standing rivalry has deep historic roots, and relations between the two have taken a significant turn for the worse in recent months. This article, the first in a three-part series, looks at how both countries are trying to turn soft power to their advantage in the battle to shape international opinion. The rise of China’s soft power has been fuelled by global successes in fields ranging from gaming and films to consumer brands and technology. Success stories range from the blockbuster video game inspired by Chinese mythology, to the acclaimed sci-fi novel The Three-Body Problem, later made into a Netflix series. This rapidly growing global footprint has prompted Japan – long regarded as a leader in fields such as gaming and animation – to launch an initiative to promote the country’s own culture. Last month, the Yomiuri newspaper compared the foreign ministry initiative with China’s efforts to use cultural outreach to expand its influence, adding it was designed “to strengthen this nation’s diplomatic capabilities by increasing the number of people who understand Japan”. The report said: “As China has used cultural diplomacy to undermine other countries’ reputations, the ministry decided to send out storytellers with the aim of creating an environment that will make it easier for Japan’s positions and policies to be accepted abroad.” The Japanese foreign ministry plans to hold events in more than 20 countries by the end of this month, featuring both ancient and modern aspects of Japanese culture that range from tea ceremonies to manga and anime. Analysts have argued that China’s rising cultural influence is increasingly driven by private companies and “bottom-up cultural exchanges” involving regular people rather than being driven by governments. However, they also warn that sustaining this soft power requires an environment that encourages innovation, saying the country should aim for deeper engageme

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