Despite billions of yen being earmarked for the country’s Cool Japan campaign —a government push at spreading soft power — Asada doesn’t think music is a big priority. He believes that the government would rather support the interests of the anime industry.

It's normal to run across SXSW showcases in Austin funded by foreign countries helping their local musicians attempt to break into the world's largest music market. It's unusual to find a showcase with six acts from Pakistan on a trip paid for by the U.S. State Department.