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19 CJPF LIVE#19
FY2025 Fifth CJPF LAB: Growing Cool Japan Together — ‘The Japan We Want to Share’ Through the Eyes of International Talent
Speakers & Presentation Topics Adam Fulford, CEO of Fulford Enterprise Co., Ltd., who has lived in Japan for more than 40 years and has long worked on translation and supervision for Japanese television programs related to English language education, spoke about one of the “invisible assets” of Japanese culture: the spirit of consideration for others and cooperation with those around you. He explained that this mindset of “caring for others” is becoming less common overseas and is perceived by many foreigners as a uniquely valuable aspect of Japanese culture. Mr. Fulford pointed out that regional areas of Japan—where traditional Japanese culture and ways of thinking remain especially strong—hold tremendous potential for attracting inbound tourism. He outlined three major benefits that foreign visitors can bring to local communities. First is the direct economic impact through tourism consumption. Second is exposure to highly skilled and specialized individuals. By welcoming visitors with perspectives and expertise rarely encountered in everyday local life, regional communities can gain new inspiration and opportunities. Third, he emphasized the advantage local communities have in being able to “selectively adopt outside ideas with flexibility.” Regions do not need to accept every suggestion brought from abroad; instead, they can choose and incorporate only the ideas that best fit their local vision. He described this ability to “take the best parts” as one of the unique advantages of inbound tourism. At the same time, Mr. Fulford highlighted challenges in Japan’s intercultural communication. Although Japan possesses a culture centered on consideration for others, he argued that many translations seen in regional areas are not truly created “with the audience in mind.” While translations may be grammatically correct in Japanese terms, they are often written from a Japanese perspective and therefore fail to resonate with international audiences. He stressed the importance of transforming such language into words that genuinely “speak to the hearts” of people from the perspective of the intended audience. Finally, he introduced the concept of “contribution-based tourism” as a framework for co-creation with international visitors. Rather than tourists simply consuming local attractions, he proposed organizing decentralized international conferences in which participants stay for several days in different regional communities, discovering both local strengths and challenges. At the end of the journey, all participants would gather to share ideas and proposals, some of which could potentially be adopted as valuable contributions to regional development. Mr. Fulford suggested that such initiatives could help […]
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18 CJPF LIVE#18
FY2025 Fourth CJPF LAB: The Current State of Global Expansion in Fashion and Beauty
Representatives from the fashion and beauty industries—both key sectors within the Cool Japan ecosystem—delivered presentations featuring concrete case studies from companies with distinctive strengths in global expansion strategies.(Date: February 12, 2026) Speakers & Presentation Topics Philippe Terrien, founder of DAMDAM, delivered the opening presentation, introducing DAMDAM as a Japan-born brand created specifically for a global audience. He discussed the background behind the company’s establishment, its product development based on global standards, and the challenges faced by Japanese brands in the international market. Mr. Terrien explained that while Japan possesses a rich history of cosmetics and access to many high-quality natural ingredients, these strengths are often underutilized. He noted that the lack of storytelling rooted in Japan’s deep cultural heritage represents a missed opportunity. DAMDAM, he said, was created to bring these uniquely Japanese values and stories to audiences around the world through both product development and branding. He also introduced initiatives focused on discovering locally sourced ingredients hidden in regional areas of Japan and collaborating with local communities to cultivate raw materials on unused farmland. Through these efforts, the company has established unique ingredient supply chains and production routes while simultaneously contributing to regional revitalization through mutually beneficial partnerships. In addition, Mr. Terrien shared his experiences of increasingly being invited to speak at overseas events since last year (2025). However, he noted that he was often the only representative from a Japanese brand, and in some exhibitions, the sole Japanese exhibitor was placed within a Korean pavilion area. He expressed disappointment at the limited global presence of Japanese brands and shared his strong hope that far more Japanese companies will expand internationally in the future. Naohiko Matsuura, Executive Vice President and COO of CFCL Inc., then introduced the company’s business initiatives and approach to international expansion. Mr. Matsuura explained that the traditional fashion industry has long relied on a labor-intensive model in which mass production shifts from one low-wage country to another in pursuit of lower manufacturing costs. In contrast, CFCL is pursuing a new production model centered on knitwear manufacturing methods that can operate even in small factories with specialized equipment, making production feasible in developed countries including Japan. He emphasized that, because the same products can be manufactured locally in different countries as long as the necessary equipment is available, this model offers additional value and flexibility beyond conventional production systems. He also noted that because CFCL produces […]
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17 CJPF LIVE#17
FY2025 Third CJPF LAB: The Current State and Future of Enhancing Value Through Collaboration with IP
The third CJPF LAB session of FY2025, which received a record-high approximately 300 applications, welcomed guest speakers from Aniplex Inc., a company engaged in IP business development, and TOPPAN Inc., which serves as a bridge connecting IP with diverse industries. The event provided valuable presentations from each company’s perspective, offering insights into expanding initiatives that enhance value through collaboration between Japanese content and other industries.(Date: December 19, 2025)
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16 CJPF LIVE#16
FY2025 Second CJPF LAB: The Potential of Sports × Cool Japan
The Cool Japan Public-Private Partnership Platform regularly hosts CJPF LAB study sessions as a forum for companies and experts interested in overseas expansion strategies for Cool Japan-related industries to share information and exchange ideas. By bringing together pioneers of Cool Japan across various fields, as well as successful case studies from global perspectives, the program promotes the sharing of expertise among platform members and CJ Producers, while also aiming to support business expansion and create opportunities for collaboration among stakeholders involved in Cool Japan initiatives.The second session of FY2025, titled “The Potential of Sports × Cool Japan,” featured experts from various fields who delivered presentations exploring the future of Cool Japan through the lens of sports. Topics included anime, intellectual property, the economy, technology, and global expansion, offering multifaceted perspectives on the role of sports in advancing Cool Japan strategies.(Date: October 10, 2025)
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15 CJPF LIVE#15
Cool Japan Frontier toward 2033
The Cool Japan Public-Private Partnership Platform of the Cabinet Office of Japan held “Cool Japan Frontier toward 2033” on Friday, October 3, 2025, at the Akasaka Intercity Conference in Tameike-Sannō, Tokyo. Messages looking ahead to 2033 were delivered by Minoru Kiuchi, Minister of State for “Cool Japan” Strategy, as well as Tsuyoshi Natsuno and Risa Tanaka, co-chairs of CJPF. The event also provided opportunities for networking among participants. Please note that the contents of this article reflect information available at the time of the event. Minoru Kiuchi, Minister of State for “Cool Japan” Strategy, emphasized that Cool Japan initiatives span a wide range of fields—including content, food, inbound tourism consumption, fashion, and cosmetics—and involve a diverse range of stakeholders, making cross-sectoral and organic collaboration essential. He also noted that the Cool Japan Public-Private Partnership Platform, established in 2015, has been relaunched this year under a new organizational structure. He expressed his appreciation for the leadership of co-chairs Tsuyoshi Natsuno and Risa Tanaka, as well as for the participation of the Executive Directors. Referring to the Intellectual Property Strategic Program 2025, Minister Kiuchi stated that the initiative aims to leverage regional resources—such as local food culture and traditional culture connected to content IP—to accelerate integrated regional efforts, thereby creating a positive cycle between the growth of the content industry and the revitalization of local economies. He concluded his remarks by reaffirming the commitment to further promoting the Cool Japan strategy to audiences around the world. Tsuyoshi Natsuno, Co-Chair, Cool Japan Public-Private Partnership Platform Specially Invited Professor and Director of Cyber Informatics Research Institute, Kindai University, stated that Japan’s content industries—including manga, anime, and video games—have experienced remarkable global growth following the COVID-19 pandemic. He noted that export revenues in the previous fiscal year reached ¥5.8 trillion, surpassing both the semiconductor and steel industries to become Japan’s second-largest export industry after automobiles. Looking ahead to 2033, he explained that the goal is for the overall Cool Japan industry to grow into a ¥50 trillion market, with the content industry accounting for ¥20 trillion of that total. He emphasized that this would exceed the scale of Japan’s ¥20 trillion automotive industry, opening the way for content to become one of the country’s core industries. Risa Tanaka, Co-Chair, Cool Japan Public-Private Partnership Platform President, The Graduate school of Project Design, presented two major themes. First, she highlighted the goal of expanding the overseas market […]
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14 CJPF LIVE#14
“FY2025 First CJPF LAB: Exploring the Potential of Nighttime Cool Japan Through Technology”
Leading experts from the fields of drone shows and projection mapping gave presentations on regional revitalization initiatives utilizing these two cutting-edge technologies, sharing concrete case studies from their respective industries.
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13 CJPF LIVE#13
Second CJPF Workshop Verbalizing the Appeal and Story of “Local Communities” and “Your Own Business” to Explore New Experiential Value Through Regional and External Collaboration –
This is the second installment of the workshop aimed at refining business storytelling (the first session was held on March 13, 2024. LINK:https://cjpf.jp/live/ri01/). The Cabinet Office’s Cool Japan Public-Private Partnership Platform (CJPF) and Keio SDM (Graduate School of System Design and Management, Keio University), with the cooperation of the Aichi "Fermented Food Culture" Promotion Council, organized a workshop titled "Considering Aichi’s Fermentation Tourism through Regional Collaboration." Using the Business Story Refinement Framework, participants worked on linking business stories with regional narratives and developed tourism proposals that leverage the region’s unique characteristics and appeal. Through this upgraded and more practical workshop, participants gained valuable insights.
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12 CJPF LIVE#12
CJPF LAB #3 – The Current State of the Cool Japan Emerging Market in Africa
CJPF regularly hosts CJPF LAB (study sessions) as a platform for companies and experts interested in overseas expansion strategies for Cool Japan industries to share information and exchange ideas. By involving public-private partnership platform members and CJPF producers, the CJPF LAB fosters knowledge-sharing through insights from pioneers in various Cool Japan fields and successful global case studies. The goal is to support business expansion for those involved in Cool Japan and create collaboration opportunities among industry professionals. In the third session, three experts provided insights into the current state of Africa, an emerging market attracting increasing attention.
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11 CJPF LIVE#11
CJPF LAB #2 – Exploring the Potential of Japanese Food Culture
CJPF regularly hosts CJPF LAB (study sessions) as a platform for companies and experts interested in overseas expansion strategies for Cool Japan industries to share information and exchange ideas. By involving public-private partnership platform members and CJPF producers, the CJPF LAB fosters knowledge-sharing through insights from pioneers in various Cool Japan fields and successful global case studies. The goal is to support business expansion for those involved in Cool Japan and create collaboration opportunities among industry professionals. In the second session, four food specialists provided insights into the appeal of Japanese cuisine from an international perspective.
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10 CJPF LIVE#10
CJPF LAB #1 ~ What is the Overseas Expansion Strategy of the General Discount Store Don Quijote?
CJPF regularly hosts CJPF LAB (study sessions) as a platform for companies and experts interested in overseas expansion strategies for Cool Japan industries to share information and exchange ideas. By involving public-private partnership platform members and CJPF producers, the CJPF LAB fosters knowledge-sharing through insights from pioneers in various Cool Japan fields and successful global case studies. The goal is to support business expansion for those involved in Cool Japan and create collaboration opportunities among industry professionals. In the first session, Mr. Kazuhiro Watanabe, Executive Officer and Head of Overseas Business MD Strategy at Pan Pacific International Holdings, and Mr. Kenichi Hiyama, General Manager of the Fresh Food Overseas Business MD Strategy Division, delivered a lecture on the company's overseas expansion strategy.
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09 CJPF LIVE#09
The Charm of Bishu Wool Discovered by an Overseas CJ Producer
The Cool Japan Public-Private Partnership Platform (CJPF) is a public-private collaborative initiative aimed at promoting the appeal of Japan to overseas markets and expanding the number of fans. The theme for this episode is “Japanese Textiles.” CJ producers, who are from overseas, will introduce the appeal of “Mitsuboshi Keito,” a woolen textile manufacturer in the Bishu region of Japan that has attracted the attention of luxury brands around the world. Please watch the following video that was taken from the producers’ unique perspective.
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08 CJPF LIVE#08
Uncovering Regional Charms and Using Stories to Transform Them into New Strengths. A Workshop with Next-generation Regional Leaders.
On March 13, 2024, the Cool Japan Public-Private Partnership Platform (CJPF) and the Graduate School of System Design and Management (SDM) from Keio University jointly hosted their first workshop. The theme was “Using stories to transform regional businesses into new strengths.” The venue for the workshop was POTLUCK YAESU in Yaesu Midtown, a place for interaction among individuals working to create value in Japan’s different regions. Thirty two individuals of varying ages and occupations from across Japan, but all with an interest in regional revitalization, were in attendance. Part One featured special lectures by two regional leaders CJPF has encountered and a panel discussion with Cool Japan producers. In Part Two, participants were able to see first hand a framework that was created by analyzing the business and PR strategies of nationwide businesses interviewed by CJPF to date. The workshop provided a valuable opportunity for participants to discover new things, meet new people, and utilize their findings in their own regional activities in the future.
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07 CJPF LIVE#07
A trip to the Shonai area of Yamagata Prefecture with CJ producers from overseas
CJPF LIVE CARAVAN explores the appeals of Japan in the eyes of the world. This time, we visited Sakata City, Tsuruoka City, and the Three Mountains of Dewa in Yamagata Prefecture with CJ producers Oya Koc and Laetitia Da Costa. The prefecture is also featured in National Geographic’s Top Five Spiritual Adventures in Tohoku, Japan , and how do people from overseas view it? Please check out our video to learn more.
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06 CJPF LIVE#06
From Tradition to Innovation. Neo-traditional Initiatives from Ishikawa Prefecture
Alongside Kairaku-en in Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture, and Koraku-en in Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture, Kenroku-en in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture, is one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan. The picturesque views of the garden in each of the four seasons have continued to capture the hearts of visitors across generations. On November 22 (Wed), 2023, CJPF Live was hosted in the Gyokusen-an Rest House, which offers stunning views of the Kenroku-en Garden. While bringing together samurai and court cultures and flourishing as the home of many of Japan’s leading traditional crafts and cultural elements, Ishikawa Prefecture today is seeing an influx of personnel with new and interesting perspectives. It has a new culture that perhaps can be called “neo-traditional.” Traditions that change shape over time and that are carried into the present day while continuously evolving and transforming. Innovations that are conceptualized and created by new settlers with new perspectives. In this article we bring to you discussions and observations on neo-traditional from diverse, multi-faceted perspectives on everything from the tea ceremony, art, food, and sake, to technology, regional revitalization, and overseas perspectives.
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05 CJPF LIVE#05
Suggestions for the Future Beginning with BCWP. Expectations for Japan and Global Co-creation Through Food.
The BCWP was established in 2016 by the Basque government in Spain and the Basque Culinary Center (BCC), and is known as the Nobel prize of the gastronomy world. The prize is awarded to individuals whose work in gastronomy has been proven to benefit society. The award is open to chefs across the world whose work has had a positive impact on a wide range of fields, be it education, health, research, sustainability, social entrepreneurship, philanthropy, or the protection of regional cultures, for example. In FY2023, the 13th BCWP and International Council of the Basque Culinary Center was held in Japan. In this session we examine the worldviews and objectives of chefs active across the world, their expectations for Japan’s traditions, expertise, and culinary vision, and the course of action for global co-creation through food cultures.
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04 CJPF LIVE#04
Rediscovering essences of Japan
The CJPF Awards 2023 were set up to award Cool Japan initiatives that highlight the attractionss of Japan. The winning initiatives were selected from among 289 entries in the Movie Category and 124 entries in the Project Category. The 4th CJPF Live session was held on March 9, 2023, with judges from both categories coming together to discuss from what viewpoints they judged and assessed the entries, as well their expectations for future CJPF Awards and any areas to improve on. In addition to a strong realization of how Japanese features are accepted and recognized around the world in diverse fields, we also gained a clear picture on the future expectations and hopes for Cool Japan.
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03 CJPF LIVE#03
Examining Japanese Luxury and Regionally Developed Luxuryfrom Tochigi
The third CJPF Live was held on December 10, 2022, in Tochigi. Tochigi Prefecture has a rich history that has been passed down for over 1,200 years, represented by the world heritage shrines and temples of Nikko, and a rich natural environment, represented by the the Ramsar-registered wetlands Oku-Nikko-shitsugen and Kegon Falls, which is one of the three great waterfalls of Japan. For these reasons, Tochigi has welcomed many tourists as an international tourist destination since the Meiji era.. Tochigi is also rich in water sources, such as the Shojinzawa Spring Water in Shioya, which also makes it a flourishing sake brewing. Tochigi supplies the high-quality vegetables grown in a rich natural environment, as well as the strawberries and other agricultural products that can be enjoyed all year-round, to the Tokyo metropolitan area and nationwide. Tochigi is easily accessible from Tokyo metropolitan area in about two hours by Tobu Railway,JR,etc..and expectations for short-distance luxury gastro-tourism through Japanese railways are increasing, Here we discussed with people who are working to create local attractions and experts on Japan and overseas about what local luxury tourism should be.
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02 CJPF LIVE#02
Advancements in Regional Food and Food Culture. Creating and Communicating New Food-based Charms from Hiroshima.
The second CJPF Live was held on November 10, 2022, in Hiroshima. Hiroshima is currently garnering worldwide attention as the host prefecture for the G7 Summit in 2023. The prefecture itself has a stair-step terrain, from the Chugoku Mountains in the north to the Seto Inland Sea in the south. Overall, Hiroshima has a warm climate, but there are areas of some heavy snowfall in the north. In this sense, it could be called a microcosm of Japan. While perhaps the most well-known food in Hiroshima is the soul food such as okonomiyaki, oysters, and momiji manju, the prefecture’s rich natural surroundings have given rise to a diverse range of ingredients and food culture. In this CJPF Live session, we discussed the charms and future of Hiroshima’s food with the “next-generation of regional leaders” and experts with an overseas perspective.
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01 CJPF LIVE#01
Exploring the Hidden Potential of Japanese Food and Food Culture and the Possibilities in Co-creation from an International Perspective
Japan’s diverse food and food culture has great potential as a key resource for Cool Japan. CJPF Live is one of the initiatives that explores the potential of Japanese food and food culture from diverse perspectives to realize branding for people around the world and to communicate the charms of Japan to people with various interests and preferences. On the first CJPF Live held on September 1, 2022, we welcomed guests from diverse sectors such as chefs, travel planners, regional development specialists, who work closely with Japanese food and food culture while sharing their activities and messages with the world. Below is a summary of the discussion about the charms and potential of Japanese food and food culture told by their own perspectives.
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