The Kawaii Ambassadors (Ambassadors of Cute!) in Japan

     Kawaii Taishi. Yep, that means Ambassadors of Cuteness in Japanese. So why have there suddenly been ambassadors appointed to such a position? It is because the Government has come to recognize the significant impact popular media, such as anime, manga, and the like, have come to have on the rest of the world. over 1/3 of all anime sales are now generated abroad, and conventions dedicated to anime have sprung up all over the world and especially in the United States, Canada and Europe.

     The largest event overseas (at Japan Expo in Paris, France) was one of the biggest media events for Japanese youth culture in the international scene. It "included a fashion show featuring ten of the biggest names in Harajuku fashion. The promoter of the show was Laforet Harajuku - a Harajuku department store known as the place to go for all the latest on what's hot in the center of Japanese street fashion. Other attractions included a screening of the Full Metal Alchemist anime, live music from Puffy Amiyumi and the girl group AKB48, and a cosplay ("costume play") event at which fans dressed up as their favorite manga and anime characters. Also in attendance were members of Clamp, a famous female group of manga artists. French fans were also introduced to the cartoon rock band The Loonies, who first featured in a promo video by the popular band Triceratops. Many fans chose to attend in costume, a sight that attracted a lot of local media attention" (Web Japan 2009). With such booming interest in Japanese popular culture and youth culture, the government felt it appropriate to appoint three girls to become youth ambassadors.

"The role of the three ambassadors, each a leading figure in a particular genre of fashion, is to represent Japan's vibrant popular culture overseas. They have already been making a splash at Japan-themed events around the world." (Web Japan 2009).

Adorable Ambassador of Anime, Doraemon the Cat with his family (Photo credit: Wikipedia).

     In 2008, Japan appointed its first ever anime ambassador (The adorable Doraemon), and this marked a decidedly modern shift in international affairs. The Japanese government always focused on traditional arts like Kabuki and Noh, coupled with what are considered national tourist landmarks, to spread awareness about Japanese society and culture. With so much consumption of anime and manga overseas, however, it is good that the government decided to embrace this kind of interest. It could mean fantastic things for the anime and manga industries, not to mention a booming tourist economy that could result from thousands of tourists making otaku (essentially means anime and/or manga geek) pilgrimages to Japan. Many tours already are catering to the international otaku market. Pop Japan Travel leads several tours throughout the year that take attendees to Akihabara, anime festivals, and other otaku-related destinations of note.

Photo Credit: "The Ambassadors of Cuteness" by Takamasa Sakurai

Used for non-profit, informational purposes only.

 

     The three ambassadors are described by "Web Japan" (a website dedicated to spreading cultural and travel information about Japan on the Web) as follows:

"Aoki Misako, representing the "Lolita" style of frills-and-lace fashion. Aoki models regularly for leading fashion publications such as Kera and Gothic & Lolita Bible. She has also appeared in the catalog for the "Baby, the Stars Shine Bright" brand of clothing, whose flagship store became a magnet for fans of Lolita fashion all over the world after it featured as the frilly-dress outlet of choice for the heroine of the international hit movie Kamikaze Girls.

Kimura Yu, meanwhile, represents the Harajuku style, named after the Harajuku area of Tokyo frequented by young trendsetters who love browsing the used clothes stores there. True to this genre of fashion, Kimura has a highly individual style, often combining several layers of secondhand clothing to create her own unique look. She is also the vocalist for Peep 4U, a pop group that plays some 100 shows a year; she even designs her elaborate stage costumes herself.

Completing the trio of ambassadors is Fujioka Shizuka, a star in the world of school-uniform-style designer clothing increasingly popular with young women in various countries. Her eye for the perfect combination of socks, skirts, and schoolgirl blouses has earned her a reputation as the "magician of school uniform coordination." She works as a coordination advisor at a popular store specializing in designer school-uniform fashions (Web Japan 2009).

     Personally, I find this appointment of ambassadors to be fascinating and would love to meet them to discuss what they feel the significance of Japanese visual culture abroad is to them as individuals who love the medium, and the country of Japan as a whole. I personally feel that the impact could be quite positive and a meaningful way to spread information about Japanese culture to the rest of the world, but I believe some would disagree with me in saying that Japanese anime is not always the "traditional Japan" and that showcasing traditional arts should be their focus.
 What do you think?

 Signing out,
 Lady Lara Jones 

See the post about the Kawaii Ambassadors written by Web Japan here.