"Cool Japan Heats Up" declares a sign welcoming visitors to an area of Universal Studios Japan (USJ) devoted to the country's hottest pop culture exports.
Now in its second year, USJ's "Universal Cool Japan" event features special attractions that run until June 26. It promises to deliver "the finest of Japanese entertainment to the world" — assuming everyone who wants to receive it can fly to Osaka.
It's easy to be cynical about the whole concept. The entirety of the government's Cool Japan push thus far has seemed like a billion-yen sinkhole — especially compared to the more successful soft-power push of South Korea.