<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div>Thanks, Aaron, for clarifying the status of the Japan Foundation. </div><div><br></div><div>So, NFC is part of an IAI under Bunkacho while the JF is under Gaimusho. The JF is thus seemingly understood as an expression of Japanese foreign policy. The Gaimusho "Diplomatic Bluebook" describes it being originally conceived as "a basis for conducting cultural diplomacy", under the rubric of "Promotion of international Mutual Understanding and Cultural Exchange". In the jargon of the MOFA, "cultural diplomacy" seems to now be called "public diplomacy", i.e., using culture to make direct appeals to citizens and public opinion in other countries.</div><div><br></div><div>Looking at the MOFA web site, it appears that the JF has an annual budget of about 113 billion yen. This has been flat for the past three years.</div><div><br></div><div>Three other tidbits of information about Gaimusho and culture:</div><div><br></div><div>First, it seems that there has been a significant policy change this year regarding communications with the Japanese public. Formerly, only members of press clubs were allowed to attend Foreign Minister Okada's briefings, but now all stripes of journalists, both domestic and foreign, as well as "writers from magazines and cyberspace" can get in and participate in the discussion. This policy change has been protested by the press clubs that represent big media, but the MOFA has stood by it.</div><div><br></div><div>Second, under the banner of "public diplomacy", the MOFA now has an initiative called "Pop-Culture Diplomacy" <<a href="http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/culture/exchange/pop/index.html">http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/culture/exchange/pop/index.html</a>>. This year, the emphasis has been placed on manga and fashion, including the appointment of three “カワイイ Ambassadors" that represent lolita/Harajuku/schoolgirl uniform fashions (so, maybe there's hope for pinku eiga?).</div><div><br></div><div>Third, the most recent press conference (3 December), includes an interesting remark by the deputy press secretary Kawamura. On Friday, the MOFA held its "Third International Manga Award", another part of their pop-culture diplomacy initiative. On the occasion of the award announcement, a member of the press asked whether the Hatoyama administration intends to continue this award. The roundabout answer was "yes". Then, the follow exchange took place:</div><div><br></div><div><i>Q: So the Foreign Ministry's idea that Japanese pop culture, including manga, remains an important diplomatic tool, remains the same even after the change of Government?</i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div><i>Mr. Kawamura: Yes, culture in general is a kind of very sophisticated area, where we need to carefully monitor how international attention grows and on which areas. We need to explore how the Japanese diplomacy should creatively respond to this. The bottom line here is that the leading role should be played by the non-governmental sectors or artistic people themselves, and the Government should play a supplementary, supporting role so that world interest in Japanese culture grows in a sound manner. From that perspective we will develop and consider the ways how the Japanese Government should be involved in this area. </i></div><div><br></div><div>The government, or at least the MOFA, is trying to sound neutral on the issue, but from this "bottom line" kind of talk, I would not expect them to take any sort of leading role in the elaboration of a more state-supported cultural policy. The initiative will probably have to come from outside. While the MOFA discourse does reflect a growing awareness of the significance of popular culture, the manga awards and <i>kawaii</i> ambassadors seem more like ways to leverage existing efforts in the public sector, rather than the government itself investing in more institution building.</div><div><br></div><div>M</div></body></html>