Japan's Soft Power: Prospects and Challenges in a New Era

Japan has been perennially ranked as one of the strongest soft-power nations in the world. On Friday, February 28, CPD convened a conference to examine Japan on the global stage with a focus on culture and innovation as drivers of a nation’s soft power. This conference brought together leading scholars, practitioners, innovators, and cultural thought leaders to explore Japanese culture and its global influence. This program was in cooperation with the Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles.

SCHEDULE

9:00am     Introduction and Welcome, Jay Wang, Director, USC Center on Public Diplomacy

9:10am     Welcome remarks, Barry Sanders, CPD Advisory Board Chair

9:15am     Global Attitudes and the Image of Japan, Jacob Poushter, Associate Director, Global Attitudes Research, Pew Research Center

9:45am     Panel #1 | A Cultural Japan

• Nicholas J. Cull, Professor, Public Diplomacy, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism (moderator)
• Yuko Kaifu, President, Japan House Los Angeles
• David McConnell, Professor, Sociology and Anthropology East Asian Studies, College of Wooster
• Yasushi Watanabe, Professor, Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University
   

11:15am     “On Beauty”, Gil Garcetti, photographer; former District Attorney for Los Angeles County

12:00pm      Lunch Break

1:00pm     Panel #2 | A High-Tech Japan

• Jay Jain, Senior Director, Strategic Execution, NEC Corporation America
• Patricia Riley, Director, Annenberg Global Communication program and Associate Professor, USC Annenberg (moderator)
• Takanori Shibata, Chief Senior Research Scientist, AIST Japan
   

2:15pm     Panel #3 | Tokyo Olympics and Soft Power

• Susan Brownell, Professor, Anthropology, University of Missouri
• Ben Carrington, University of Southern California (moderator)
• Paul Droubie, Assistant Professor, History, Manhattan College
• Dylan Hernandez, Sports Columnist, Los Angeles Times

3:45pm     Closing remarks

3:45pm - 5:00pm     Networking reception will follow immediately after the program.