NATION BRANDING THROUGH STIGMATIZED POPULAR CULTURE: THE "COOL JAPAN" CRAZE AMONG CENTRAL MINISTRIES IN JAPAN

Abstract

This paper investigates how and why various central ministries in Japan have adopted policies promoting Japanese popular culture such as manga (comic books), anime (animated films and TV shows), games, fashion and so forth, which had formerly been neglected by the state due to their stigmatized status. This paper analyzes documents released by bureaucrats and the results of interviews conducted with key persons from central ministries and institutions under their jurisdiction to shed light on institutional isomorphism observed in the central government of Japan.