Outline
We sought out and examined initiatives that convey the attractions of Japan based on the “Cool Japan” approach.
Award winners were selected in two categories: videos and projects.
(The CJPF Award is a merging of the former Cool Japan Video Contest and Cool Japan Matching Award)
Toward the post-COVID-19 world, it is needed to disseminate the attractions of Japan with sustainable stories and expand communities of Japan fans, focused on themes ranging from nature and culture through to industries, food and culinary culture, tourism, entertaining content, handicrafts and production, and even leading-edge digital technologies.
1: Eligibility for CJPF Award 2023 extends to videos that convey appealing aspects of Japan for overseas audiences, and to international projects that create new value and appeal of Japan for people outside of Japan.
2: You can see all award-winning works on this page.
1 Sources: Cool Japan Strategy (CJ Strategy; established in June 2019); “Restructuring the Cool Japan Strategy” (finalized in July 2021) within the Intellectual Property Strategic Program 2021; “Restarting the Cool Japan in anticipation of post-COVID” (finalized in June 2022) within the Intellectual Property Strategic Program 2022.
2 The Cool Japan Public-Private Partnership Platform (CJPF) was established in December 2015 as a means of strengthening collaborations between government, the private sector, and various industries, with the goals of deepening the CJ Strategy and facilitating unified public–private efforts in Cool Japan projects. Currently, content makers, producers of food products, and various other private-sector companies are members of the CJPF, and efforts are being undertaken to create new value and refine existing appeal points through matching services between member companies and Cool Japan officials. During the June 2021 general meeting of CJPF members, a decision was made to focus current endeavors primarily on food and culinary culture among the many Cool Japan topics addressed.
Movie category
award results
This video captured the hearts of the judges more than any other. With the globally popular Bonsai as the theme, this ambitious production expresses the essence of not only Bonsai’s beauty, but of the powerful nature that enables them to survive in harsh environments. While showing off this worldview, the video brilliantly showed Bonsai’s expansion into industry.
he Snow Country Tourism Zone refers to snow-rich regions that can be covered in more than three meters of snow. While of course there are other regions with heavy snowfall across the world, it is both surprising and rare for so many people to live in these regions despite the climate. Our hope is that the video would introduce the appeals of lifestyles in these regions, as well as the excitement of trips to the area.
This ambitious work portrays not only the “beauty” but also the “severity” of the snow country in its world view when expressing luxury accommodations. Through this contrast, it expresses the essence of Japan’s unique beauty. As a video, it is outstanding in the way it captivates the viewer slowly and carefully, drawing them into the world of the snow country.
Thank you very much for this prestigious award. A visit to Mie Prefecture can create many unforgettable moments, be it the nature, history, and culture seen in Ago Bay, Ise Jingu Shrine, ama divers, or ninja; stunning cuisine such as Matsuzaka beef and Ise shrimp; or the warm hospitality of Mie locals. We will continue to conduct international PR activities to ensure that we can communicate these highlights to as many people from other countries as possible.
This high-quality video shows off Mie’s unique appeals in its culture, nature, food, and people. It is a monologue of few words and allows the viewer to immerse themselves in the production. We selected this video for a prize as it is a stunning production that stays with you after you watch it. Congratulations on your award.
We created this video to introduce Usuki’s cuisine to the wider world as part of our efforts to join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. We believe we have been able to widely disseminate not only the city’s stunning cuisine, but also how the city’s magnificent food culture is connected to the SDGs and healthy ways of life. We will continue with efforts to carry forward and create the city’s food cultures and use them as tourism resources to maximum effect.
Despite the simple nature of the video, it has a thorough, clear message. This is what makes it fascinating. Japanese cuisine is not only delicious, it is rich in tradition, sustainable, and healthy. These essential elements are embodied in this video, which presents Japanese food in a slightly different manner. It also expresses how food is a culture that is passed on to successive generations through people. It is for this reason that we judged the video to be in line with Cool Japan strategy.
Thank you for the very good news. Our hope is to increase the number of Japan fans by communicating our world-leading cultures and traditions worldwide. We also hope that as Japanese people we can grow more fond of our own country and help bring shape to its unique attractions.
This is a high-quality production with a thoroughly well-constructed story. It showcases a uniquely Japanese tradition and harmony with nature through the combination of natural beauty and a craftsman’s expertise. I was impressed by his innovative spirit of combining the vessels and cuisine, as well as how it stimulates and inspires the viewer to visit the hotel.
Thank you very much for choosing me for the Awards for Excellence. We hope this video encourages you to visit Kagoshima Prefecture and enjoy its many unique tourism resources, including three World Heritage Sites, stunning cuisine including Japan’s leading wagyu in Kagoshima Kuroushi, outstanding prefectural produce, a unique history, and distinctive cultures.
The viewer is drawn in from the very beginning, and I was impressed that such stunning locations existed in the country I live in. As the video went on my desire to visit Kagoshima grew, and I’m sure many who watch it will feel the same way. This is why I selected it from among the others.
I am honored to receive such an unexpectedly brilliant award. We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to Morio Nakajima who was kind enough to allow us to film and interview him several times whilst at work. PLAY TOKYO will continue to communicate the vitality of Tokyo to the rest of the world.
Congratulations on your award! It was a fantastic video that highlighted Japan’s unique public bathhouse culture and the colorful artwork that decorates the bathhouses themselves. Whether it is the kote-e plaster reliefs that have traditionally decorated storehouses and other buildings since the Edo period, or more recently hand-painted movie signboards, while popular Japanese art might seem ordinary to Japanese people, there are many genres that are fascinating and full of value for people overseas. I’m sure there are many people who have watched this video and newly discovered what makes Japan so interesting.
We believe that the arts, cultures, and manufacturing techniques we have inherited from our ancestors are incredibly unique and high in quality. In an era in which cultural homogenization is progressing, we think that switching our focus to unique Japanese traditions can open up new possibilities for Made in Japan by linking them to modern technologies and sensibilities.
This video does a great job of communicating Japan’s unique charms. Starting with traditional ikebana, and centered on the aesthetics of subtraction theme, the video covers everything from food culture and nature to lifestyles and beliefs. It excellently demonstrates a unique, cross-generational Japanese worldview, effectively showing off the appeals of a different country and the beauty of a different culture. I believe it is the ideal video to communicate to people overseas.
It is the great honor to have received such a wonderful award. The mochi culture in these regions has been carried forward to today as a key part of people’s lives, functioning as a tool for interaction between families and regions and for providing excellent hospitality. We hope this award will encourage people to explore the mochi culture of Ichinoseki and Hiraizumi. Thank you so much.
This video showed us a movie-like story that not only introduced mochi as a food, but also how it has intangible value as an essential part of lives and cultures in the Ichinoseki area. Different to a regular tourism introduction video, I selected the video for its unique approach in the Cool Japan Movie Category.
Upon request from Apex Legends, a popular game with more than 100 million users worldwide, we created a music video and the accompanying music which recreated the game’s theme song using Japanese instruments. As one would expect from TAO, we created a modern rendition highlighting the coolness of Japan. The production was incredibly well-received by the Apex Legends HQ in the US, who requested an additional five soundtrack recreations. We believe the videos have helped to disseminate the appeals of Japanese instruments worldwide. It is a great honor that we have been recognized in this way, and in the future we hope to recreate these productions on stage.
This video was a brilliant collaboration between Apex Legends’ animation and the wadaiko drums of the DRUM Tao group. The possibilities for video-based expressions are endless. The harmony between animation and music is the foundation for cool expressions. With the arrival of VR, 5G, NFTs, and other technological advancements, I look forward to even more evolution in this area.
The project began when I asked some international pilgrims why they chose to walk such a challenging path. Their words and expressions as they spoke about their experiences on the pilgrimage were fascinating. Through the interviews we were once again able to feel the warmth of Shikoku’s osettai culture. We want to communicate their impressive experiences to the world, and we want you to have the same emotion.
The subjects, the unique Shikoku pilgrimage and osettai hospitality customs, are presented in a simple and easy-to-understand structure. Alongside the real experiences of international pilgrims, this fantastic production was full of moving, powerful messages. In recent years, spiritual experiences based on Japanese cultures have been garnering worldwide attention. In addition to stimulating people’s desire to visit Japan, I feel the video has a strong affinity with Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, which will be held in the place surrounded by Kyoto, Nara, and Shikoku, all with profound history and culture. This is why I selected the video for this year’s award.
Project category
award results
It is the great honor to have received this prestigious award. As professionals in entertainment, Avex does not simply deliver Japanese contents to people overseas, but rather strives to add value to this content through surprise and excitement. Moving forward, we will continue communicating the excellence of Japan’s entertainment culture to people worldwide. In addition, we look forward to the increase in number of young people who can also take on this role and find success on the global stage.
While there are an array of anime- and manga-themed events in many different countries, many of these have been set up through the the passion of local fans. This large-scale initiative, however, was led by a major Japanese company, and marks Japan’s expansion into the untapped Middle Eastern market, which is experiencing rapid growth. These two elements were the deciding factors behind our decision to award the event the Grand Prize.
We expanded our business into France to further develop the ekiben culture. While worrying whether ekiben would succeed in France, eating and drinking on trains was prohibited between January and February 2022, and sales plummeted. This means that French people actually eat their ekiben on trains. In the future, we will work to provide our ekiben to even more countries. Thank you.
I was very impressed at the significant value the project brings by communicating Japan’s unique food culture alongside actual experiences. I look forward to more worldwide communication of Japan’s delicious, healthy, and sustainable cuisine.
I am Eiji Kamiya, the president and CEO of ibis Co., Ltd. Thank you so much for bestowing the Awards for Excellence at CJPF AWARD2023. Japan’s anime pictures are popular throughout the world, and many people have posted their own anime-style illustrations within the app. Moving forward, we will continue to focus our efforts on spreading Cool Japan worldwide.
Drawing is of course a key element of anime and manga, two major pillars of Japanese culture. The achievements of ibisPaint deserve significant recognition. In addition to spreading this culture among young artists worldwide, the app has surpassed 300 million downloads, with the majority of these coming from overseas. The app also has a strong sense of community with the ability to post drawings within the app and its strong social media presence. I believe it has successfully helped to spread the charms of Japanese culture. Congratulations on your award and I look forward to even greater developments going forward.
Snack bars are a unique element of Japanese night-time culture with three cultural characteristics: karaoke, Mama who is the owner of snack bar, and local community. With the number of foreign visitors to Japan set to increase, we will continue to communicate the attractions of these snack bars through online experiences, in-person bar hopping tours, and a diverse range of other initiatives.
Snack bars are a unique cultural aspect of Japan. They exist in every town throughout the country, and for customers are an important part of local infrastructure that allows them to connect with the local community. As calls grow for enhanced measures for the night-time economy in rural areas to counter tourism-related issues, snack bars could have a major role to play if geared toward foreign visitors to Japan. I selected this initiative for the Excellence Award in recognition of its strategic significance and uniqueness.
In addition to the thorough pursuit of characteristics exclusive to Japanese manufacturing, such as hard work and attention to detail, our sake is produced in combination with techniques and data utilization unique to the modern world. We believe that the key to success in the future is the evolution and enhancement of sake and Japanese manufacturing. The success of this project has shown part of that evolution, and we are honored to have been recognized for our efforts.
Congratulations on your award. This was the first time that Japanese sake had been offered and sold at Sotheby’s, the world’s oldest auction house. The sake even featured a bottle-cap with a gold leaf lacquer design. Alcoholic drinks from other countries already have established international markets. With this in mind, I believe we can anticipate much more growth for sake in overseas markets. While there might not be many who can purchase a bottle of sake for 1,150,000 yen, I have no doubt that the success of this auction will see more people want to try sake at restaurants, drink Dassai, and visit Japan to experience its authentic sake culture. That is excellent！
I would like to express my gratitude to all of you for your support of the NINDO PROJECT, which has received a brilliant award. For Japan, ninja culture is killer tourism content suited to any region or religion. Through strong domestic collaboration in ninja culture, and worldwide distribution of relevant content, we will work to contribute to the recovery of inbound tourism and promote regional development.
The ninja culture is famous worldwide. For us judges, it was very interesting and exciting, and we had smiles on our faces while judging. We could clearly see the passion and depth of the Japan Ninja Council and the Nindo Project. The content is fantastic not only on the surface, but also how it incorporates culture, history, and language. I can really feel their enthusiasm in communicating this culture worldwide. I’ve been keeping track of the Japan Ninja Council’s activities for a while, and I’m always impressed. The comments section on their YouTube channel are mostly in English, too, which is great to see. I'm rooting for you.
The project began as a means to strengthen communication during the pandemic, and this year is our third. We are overjoyed and incredibly thankful that our work with the university this year has been recognized in this way. We would also like to express our deepest gratitude to all those who helped with our filming activities. We will continue to make use of this video to encourage as many international visitors as possible to come to Oita Prefecture.
It was great how the international students used skills unique to their generation to communicate their ideas, something we haven’t really seen before. The fact that it was initiated by APU and Oita Prefecture, a local government, rather than by companies or local communities ensured both an international and student-based viewpoint and the viewpoint of prefectural officials familiar with the area. I think it brilliantly communicated the real charms of the prefecture. I look forward to similar initiatives being extended to other international students nationwide.
We are very honored to receive the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan Award. Ahead of Expo 2025, we are currently working with more than 30 different companies. This summer we also plan to open a model park where people can experience the circular model first hand. We will continue partnering with numerous stakeholders to help us achieve our goals. Thank you for today.
In addition to demonstrating new possibilities for washi, this project also showed various possibilities for sustainability—key in today’s society—while it also redefined what it means to make materials from natural resources. The project already involves numerous partnerships, and in addition to further co-creation ahead of Expo 2025, I look forward to its development both inside and outside of the Expo venue and its ongoing success.
Certificates and prizes
“CJPF AWARD Certificate of Commendation” was carefully hand-made one by one using the manufacturing method of “Mino Washi”, one of Japan’s three major Japanese papers with a history of about 1300 years. The “CJPF AWARD” logo was foil-stamped in gold, silver, and copper for each award category on the Japanese paper, and finished with a calligraphy brush.
The prize “CJPF AWARD notebook” sent to the winner was made with consideration for the natural environment, with the cover made of thinly sliced Japanese cypress wood paper and the plain inner paper made of recycled paper. It’s a notebook. The cover is stamped with CJPF AWARD gold, and Mino Washi paper is used for the inner cover.
Both the award certificate and the prize are made with the passion of the craftsmen, and are finished with a finish that embodies the new “tradition of Japan”.
Mino Washi Production: Mino Bamboo Paper Studio (Takehisa Suzuki/Toyomi Suzuki)
Printing, bookbinding, foil stamping: Niizato Bookbinding (Tomoyuki Niizato)
Overall review
CJPF AWARD 2023 General Comments
This year we received 289 applications in the Movie Category and 124 in the Project Category. I wish to express my sincerest gratitude to everyone who submitted their initiatives as well as to the panelists and everyone else who lent their cooperation.
"BONSAI AZUMA GOYOMATSU" and "TIMELESS YUKIGUNI", the Grand Prix Award in the Movie Category were awarded to two fantastic videos that showcased the appeals of two elements of Japanese culture: bonsai and snowy regions. They created stories linking regional nature and history and told them through stunning visuals.
"Saudi Arabia Anime Village Project", the Grand Prix Award in the Project Category was awarded to the first large-scale anime event to be held as part of Jeddah Season, a major national event in Saudi Arabia. Previously an unknown for anime, the project was able to pioneer and open up the potential of the Middle Eastern anime market. Not only has this helped to achieve a global increase in the number of Japan fans, it is also historically significant.
From the government’s perspective, we hope that these prizewinning initiatives will be widely communicated both inside and outside Japan through overseas diplomatic establishments and other organizations. This will help to boost the number of those interested in Japan and enhance Japan’s soft power.
Judges
CJPF AWARD 2023 Movie Category Comments
In the past few years, I have been amazed at the changes in the prizewinning initiatives organized by the Cool Japan Public-Private Partnership Platform. While the quality has of course increased, I have been most surprised at the clear transformations in how people want Japan to be perceived in international society. In particular, I have noticed an increase in number of projects whose aim is to express Japan’s respect for nature through video. In addition, in these videos I have seen a rise in the portrayal of quintessentially Japanese elements such as harmony and beauty.
Japan’s respect for nature was born from its confrontation with and acceptance of natural disasters and numerous other challenges. Instead of just reaping its benefits, Japan has a strong, unique desire to coexist with nature, despite the severe disasters it can cause. This desire has influenced our lifestyles and our sense of beauty.
The theme for this year’s applications was “Disseminating the attractions of Japan to a post-COVID world”. Allow me to express my appreciation to all those who worked to tackle this challenging theme for 2023. I believe that many of this year’s initiatives successfully presented elements for Japan to showcase to international society. I look forward to these initiatives becoming opportunities for people to increase their understanding of Japan.
CJPF AWARD 2023 Project Category Comments
This year, too, many of the diverse entries received awards for their distinctive efforts to promote Cool Japan. Be it the spread of Japanese anime in countries where its popularity is growing due to global OTT services; the introduction of the long-standing ekiben culture to Europe; app, video, and online initiatives; the spread of ninjutsu; or the creation of a market for premium sake, these awards confirmed that uniquely Japanese elements in various genres continue to be acknowledged and accepted by countries worldwide. In addition to measures to further boost anime, sake, and other elements of Japanese culture already established overseas, we have seen measures that have led to rising global interest in areas such as ekiben and ninjutsu that haven’t been explored before. This shows just how important it will be to use Cool Japan policies to uncover and develop even more quality elements of Japanese culture. I am overjoyed that post-COVID, the charms of Japan are being communicated worldwide, and I would like to commend the award winners this year for their imaginative and creative initiatives.
Organizer and Supporters
Cool Japan Public-Private Partnership Platform (CJPF)
The CJPF, which is administered by the Cabinet Office’s Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters, was established in December 2015 to pursue the Cool Japan Strategy via collaborative efforts that bring together the public and private sectors as well as numerous industries. Currently, CJPF members include government agencies and organizations, and private-sector companies, organizations, institutions and individuals. All members provide support for information sharing and new business-project creation.
クールジャパン機構／日本貿易振興機構(JETRO)／日本商工会議所／東京商工会議所／映像産業振興機構(VIPO)/日本旅行業協会（JATA）
内閣府知的財産戦略推進事務局
The Goyomatsu variety of pine lives through the harsh natural climate of the Azuma mountains, which are a symbol of Fukushima City, and for many years their form has been a source of inspiration for Bonsai enthusiasts. Through this video we have portrayed the charms of Azuma Goyomatsu by focusing on their spiritual nature. Using this Grand Prize as an opportunity, we will work to attract inbound tourists to Fukushima through this so-called killer content and communicate information on the reconstruction and recreation of the area.