Japan Requests Budget to Promote Soft Power Diplomacy Using Manga and Anime
Japan has requested ¥1.83 billion ($11.6 million) in the fiscal 2027 budget to expand soft power diplomacy through manga, anime, music, and movies, aiming to counter China’s growing influence in Global South developing nations.
Budget Allocation and Strategic Targets for Fiscal 2027
The Foreign Ministry submitted the ¥1.83 billion request for the fiscal year starting next April to fund pop culture promotions and international language training. The strategy explicitly designates cultural content as one of the 17 priority investment areas under government growth initiatives. A senior ministry official stated that this designation enables large-scale content-driven diplomacy designed to make foreign audiences more receptive to Japanese messaging.
To support this expansion, the government is focusing heavily on regions where its cultural footprint remains limited. Emerging markets in the Global South present new ground for diplomatic engagement.
Japan Hosts Anime Concert in Côte d’Ivoire
Cultural exchange efforts are already underway on the ground. In January, the government-affiliated Japan Foundation hosted an anime song concert in Côte d’Ivoire. Rock band Flow performed opening theme songs from the popular series Naruto to an audience of approximately 600 people inside the venue.
It was noted that local demand far exceeded capacity, drawing an additional 2,000 attendees who gathered outside the venue. Building on that reception, the Foreign Ministry is planning similar concert events across South America and other developing regions for fiscal 2027.
Language Training and Localization Infrastructure
Alongside public events, the Foreign Ministry plans to address translation bottlenecks by nurturing professional Japanese translators abroad. Officials intend to connect these overseas linguistic professionals directly with domestic publishing representatives. The government is also developing specialized Japanese conversation apps utilizing recognizable manga characters to help foreign learners grasp proper cultural contexts.