A Study On Cultural Diplomacy Of Japan Toward Southeast Asia After The World War ?

Japan has paid much attention to the role of culture in the diplomacy since its defeat.After the World War ?,Japan,as a defeated country,produced a dramatic decline in its national image and had tense diplomatic relations with the countries in Southeast Asia.In order to repair such diplomatic relations and improve its national image,Japan set about post-war reparations and economic assistance,which resulted in its successful return to Southeast Asia.In the 1970 s,Japan became the economic power.However,because of masses of Japanese commodities in the market of Southeast Asia and the over-investment of Japanese corporation,anti-Japan sentiment broke out in Southeast Asian countries.To show the amicability to Southeast Asia,Japan began to focus on “soft power” in its diplomatic field,,which meant the cultural diplomacy —disseminating Japanese culture and influencing the public opinion and policies of other countries by cultural communications.Meanwhile,the Japanese government believed that in order to be a “normal country” and further a superpower in the world,it was urgent to promote the Japanese position in the international politics and exert powerful,political influence on the world.The only dependence on its economic advantage cannot play such political role.Therefore,Japan regarded “cultural diplomacy” as the core of its diplomatic policy,and wanted to achieve its ideal of political power by advancing cultural diplomacy.In essence,activities of cultural diplomacy in Southeast Asia,the key part of Japanese diplomatic policy,are supplementary to political,economic,and military diplomacy,which constitutes the integrity of Japanese diplomacy.All in all,cultural diplomacy is a means of achieving national strategic interests.