Week 2 - Shannon Trinh

Japan’s government is a constitutional monarchy, where the Emperor’s power is limited and the government is broken up into three branches, similarly to the United States: the Executive branch, the Legislative branch, and the Judicial branch. Although the people of Japan are not included in major voting systems, Japan seems to set the example for other countries’ attempt of re-branding economically, culturally, and socially.

What makes Japan so popularized is their fortified and unique national identity, an important component to globalization and branding. In order to achieve this, I think that governments (Like Japan’s) need to promote the right amount of balance between tradition and innovation, in order to make way for both tremendous economic/social/cultural growth and preservation of national pride and identity.  For example, Haksoon Yim states that a lot of countries get caught up in competitive economic progress and often lose touch of their traditional virtues such as spirituality: “Governments have tended to attribute social problems to the deserted spiritual world and the confused ethics caused by economic growth. Thus, the government has stressed that the enrichment of the spiritual world by culture and arts was necessary to counteract the negative effects of materialism and commericialism.” Japan’s government and people practice the well-known virtue of “Kodawari”(The Worldfolio), which pushes Japanese citizens to hold strong work ethic and to drive the economy (especially in upcoming technology). Japan has always been known to be one of the most over-worked countries in the world, always presenting themselves with the newest and coolest technologies. Although many other countries have been beginning to do the same, Japan’s people have made sure that this work-driven mentality is balanced with the integration of traditional, spiritual values of Shinto and Buddhism in every day life by keeping private traditions alive in almost every household. Japanese culture also consists of the preservation of its beautiful gardens, distinctive food, and traditional theatre, major aspects of Japan’s branding. The arts, which have also made up Japan’s identity for years, have pushed domestic companies in Japan to rapidly break into the international market, creating a popularized reputation for the country as the birthplace of anime and manga (The Worldfolio). A combination of 1. the ability for Japan to stay true to their culture and 2. their growing investments that are put into the “right” things, such as entertainment (J-pop), fashion, food, and technology, have fortified Japan’s national identity, and have ultimately, created a strong brand for itself. I think that although “progress” and a transformative mentality is a big part in re-branding, it is still important to incorporate traditional ethics and values into the new image.

Question: Which countries sacrificed their traditions completely in attempts of re-branding?

https://www.tsunagujapan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/ecfc72c744f341c50e96528e45dd3fcb.jpg

http://www.theworldfolio.com/news/cultural-uniqueness-essential-to-japans-rebranding/4110/

Haksoon Yim. “Cultural Identity and Cultural Policy in South Korea.”