"COOL Japan" Gross National Cool and Reclaiming Japanese Strength

Abstract

Douglas McGray published his work entitled “Japan's Gross National Cool” in the journal of Foreign Policy in 2002 and the term was subsequently adopted in 2011 by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan to systematically promote the country’s cultural products. However, due to the economic stagnation of the so-called “lost decades” (1991-2012), as well as the effects of the Tohoku earthquake, and subsequent tsunami and Fukushima disaster (the 3/11 events) in 2011, the question has arisen as to how Japan would recover its confidence. In the book “Cool Japan: Gross National Cool and Reclaiming Japanese Strength”, this question is addressed in an interesting way. Cool Japan was written by Little Thoughts, and is on its 3rd edition as of February 2015. It is published by Pabpim Publishing. The content is divided into three main chapters, totaling 20 articles, including tips inserted into some chapters with a bibliography as a reference at the end of the book. The highlights of the book include the presentation of “cool” in three different areas: technology, ideas and culture, and examples of cultural products that help broaden the readers’ viewpoints through cinema, the arts, fashion and technology so as to give a wider perspective on Japanese culture.