In the early 2000s, the Japanese government started to evaluate the value of the country’s popular culture industry following international successes in anime/manga [...] Realizing that its cultural influence expanded despite the economic setbacks of the Lost Decade (from 1991 to 2000), Japan sought to promote the idea of ‘Cool Japan’, an expression of its emergent status as a cultural superpower.

Tags: video game, soft power, japan, cool japan, Cultural Diplomacy, international exchange, cultural exchange, pokemon go, nintendo

In an age of networks and soft power, this represents a sizeable demographic, and a well-educated and well-off one to boot. The government has clearly recognized this. [...] two years ago the first Minister for the Diaspora was appointed, tasked with taking overall charge of engagement efforts: no longer simply cultural ambassadors operating Irish bars abroad, emigrants are economic and political seeds to be cultivated. 

Tags: government pd, migration crisis, diaspora diplomacy, diasporas, global aid & development, united nations human rights council, europe, technology, smart & soft power

Bangladesh embassy in Washington has held an interaction with the young US professionals as part of its annual 'public diplomacy outreach'. [...] The embassy said over 70 professionals from a variety of disciplines joined the "Embassy Experience" programme on Friday evening to know Bangladesh's history, economy, investment opportunity, tourism and culture.

Tags: bangladesh, united states, washington, Cultural Diplomacy, international exchange, professional exchange, non-state pd

The colorful spectacle of pandas, martial arts and valiant heroes is, of course, far from the reality in China today, but the version of a Chinese fantasy world in which the Kung Fu Panda movies live has proved very appealing to audiences both in China and globally. 

Tags: china, Cultural Diplomacy, soft power, hollywood, film diplomacy, movie industry, cultural exchange

Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and his South Korean counterpart, Yun Byung-se, affirmed in Laos on Monday their intention to implement the landmark bilateral settlement on the “comfort women” forced into Japan’s military brothels during the war by setting up a foundation this week designed to help the surviving victims.

Tags: south korea, japan, comfort women, government pd, seoul, tokyo, japan-south korea relations

In late 2015 and early 2016 a series of 39 training courses were organized all over Mexico by UN Women in partnership with five civil society organizations, including Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Matías de Córdova [...[ I.A.P. The trainings in the southern border area brought together local organizations, migrant women and civil servants to discuss ways to address migration, gender and development.

Tags: mexico, migration, un, global aid & development, non-state pd, advocacy, international NGOs, gender issues, women rights

Kabali was released in 8000-10,000 screens across the world. That scale is astonishing given that India’s soft power has largely been powered by the popularity of Hindi cinema and Bollywood.

Tags: Rajinikanth, india, soft power, Cultural Diplomacy, bollywood, Tamil film industry, film diplomacy, non-state pd

Awad Ahmed Al-Jaz, Sudanese official in charge of Sino-Sudanese relations' file, and Li Lianhe, Chinese Ambassador to Sudan, inaugurated an exhibition about Chinese culture and the Sino-Sudanese ties.

Tags: sudan, china, khartoum, bilateral ties, cultural exchange, Cultural Diplomacy, mutual interest, government pd, commercial exchange, sudan-china relations