Column/Asia

Soft Power by Design: Japanese Culinary Diplomacy

Posted on by Alexandra Anargirou
mochi japan soft power yris

Introduction

In an era dominated by military and economic interests, the concept of soft power offers an alternative framework for understanding global influence. Coined by Joseph Nye, soft power is defined as a country’s ability to shape the preferences of others through attraction rather than coercion or payment.1 Japan exemplifies this influence through its cuisine, leveraging food as a tool for diplomacy and global engagement. Japanese culinary diplomacy, the strategic promotion of Japanese food culture abroad, demonstrates how cultural heritage can be leveraged to enhance economic prosperity, foster political alliances, and elevate a nation’s global standing.

Japanese cuisine, or washoku, was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2013, reflecting not only its rich tradition but also its potential as a diplomatic tool. This recognition aligns with Japan’s broader “Cool Japan” initiative, which promotes cultural exports to enhance the country’s image and soft power worldwide.2 This article argues that Japan’s culinary diplomacy functions as a strategically designed soft power mechanism, facilitating tangible political and economic benefits while shaping international perceptions of Japan as a culturally sophisticated and innovative nation.

Theoretical Framework

Understanding Japanese culinary diplomacy requires situating it within the broader theoretical frameworks of soft power and cultural diplomacy. Building on Nye’s concept of attraction-based influence to its culture, political values, and foreign policies, unlike hard power, which relies on coercion or payment, soft power operates by shaping the preferences of others, making them desire the outcomes favored by the influencer.3 4

Cultural diplomacy constitutes a vital subset of soft power, focusing specifically on the role of culture as a medium for building mutual understanding and trust between nations.5 Food, as a universal cultural expression, possesses unique qualities in this regard — it transcends language barriers, fosters social bonds, and cultivates favorable impressions of the source country.6 Emerging scholarship on culinary diplomacy underscores how states employ gastronomy to promote national narratives, enhance tourism, and establish informal channels of influence. 7 8

Within the context of international relations, culinary diplomacy is recognized as a tool of public diplomacy, engaging both foreign publics and elites through cultural exchange and symbolic gestures.9 Additionally, it enables states to cultivate goodwill and expand their diplomatic reach beyond traditional political and economic interactions. Japan’s deployment of culinary diplomacy exemplifies these theories, with state and private actors collaborating to export Japanese food culture as a means to augment Japan’s soft power and global presence.

Understanding Soft Power and Culinary Diplomacy in Japan

Soft power functions through attraction—shaping preferences by rendering a nation’s culture, values, and policies appealing.10 Japan’s culinary diplomacy exemplifies this by leveraging its rich food heritage to foster positive international relationships and advance national interests.

Japanese cuisine is distinguished by its emphasis on seasonality, aesthetic presentation, balance, and healthfulness, qualities that resonate with global audiences increasingly attentive to quality and wellness.11 Japan has institutionalized culinary diplomacy as part of its broader cultural export strategy, investing in the international promotion of food alongside other cultural assets.12 The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) actively supports international outreach through cultural festivals, chef exchanges, and educational programs, thereby cultivating diplomatic goodwill and opening markets for Japanese exports.13

Moreover, Japan’s food diplomacy transcends economic objectives; it functions as a conduit for cultural exchange, peacebuilding, and regional cooperation. For instance, Japanese culinary culture has served as a diplomatic bridge in relations with neighboring countries such as South Korea and China, where historical tensions persist. By fostering shared appreciation for food traditions and culinary innovation, Japan creates informal spaces for dialogue and mutual understanding.14

Economic Impact

Following the elevation of washoku as a cultural heritage asset, the number of Japanese restaurants worldwide increased by approximately 30% between 2013 and 2019.15 This visibility has been directly linked to rising Japanese food exports, which surged from $6.1 billion in 2013 to $10.1 billion in 2018 — a 65% increase.16 According to JETRO (2021), demand grew for ingredients such as miso, soy sauce, and sake, as Japanese cuisine gained traction globally.

Culinary tourism has also become a significant component of Japan’s tourism sector. The Japan Tourism Agency (2019) reports that nearly 30% of international visitors cited Japanese cuisine as a primary motivation for their trip.17 Visitors often plan itineraries around food festivals and regional specialties, which fosters long-term cultural affinity and economic sustainability. Events like Japan Week in New York, drawing over 50,000 participants annually, and European Washoku Week, which increases Japanese restaurant patronage by 25% during the event, demonstrate the synergy between cultural events and economic outcomes.18 19

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games provided another moment of strategic culinary promotion. Japan introduced “Sustainable Washoku” at Olympic venues, aligning the national brand with global concerns around environmental and public health. The initiative reached over 200 million viewers globally, with social media campaigns extending the narrative to over 350 million users.20 Post-Games data showed a 15% increase in Japanese food exports, reinforcing the diplomatic and economic impact of culinary branding at global mega-events.

Diplomatic and Policy Implications

Japan’s use of culinary diplomacy reflects a deliberate application of soft power as foreign policy strategy. Grounded in Nye’s theory of influence through attraction, the promotion of washoku functions not merely as cultural display but as a strategic instrument of diplomacy. Japan integrates food diplomacy into regional summits, cultural agreements, and public diplomacy initiatives to cultivate goodwill, build informal channels of influence, and enhance its image as a peaceful, harmonious power.

This approach is especially visible in Japan’s outreach to ASEAN countries. Embassy-led food festivals, cooking classes, and bilateral cultural programming have softened historical tensions and fostered mutual understanding. For example, surveys conducted by JICA (2019) found a 20% rise in favorable perceptions of Japan among Southeast Asian participants following food-related events.21

The “Cool Japan” initiative also underscores how culinary culture is embedded in Japan’s foreign policy. High-profile chefs were appointed as cultural ambassadors, showcasing Japanese cuisine in cities like New York, London, and Paris.22 Food-themed events were regularly featured at G20 and APEC summits, blurring the lines between public diplomacy and trade.

Furthermore, culinary diplomacy supports Japan’s broader geopolitical posture. It subtly reinforces Japan’s leadership narrative in East Asia while counterbalancing regional powers like China and South Korea. Initiatives are often linked to wider economic agreements, such as CPTPP negotiations and Japan’s strategic dialogue with Western allies.

Japanese culinary diplomacy is also amplified through popular media. For instance, the anime series Shokugeki no Soma (Food Wars), broadcast in over 50 countries, sparked increased global interest in Japanese cuisine. In response, regions such as Hokkaido and Osaka saw food-related tourism rise by up to 15%.23 Recognizing the cultural reach of such content, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has quietly supported culinary-themed media as an informal — but effective — tool of public diplomacy.24

Conclusion

Japanese culinary diplomacy represents a paradigmatic example of how soft power can be deliberately harnessed to achieve multifaceted national objectives. Through the strategic promotion of washoku and other culinary traditions, Japan has not only enhanced its cultural appeal but effectively translated this attraction into concrete economic gains and diplomatic influence. The interplay between cultural heritage, economic policy, and international relations demonstrates the sophistication of Japan’s soft power strategy, which aligns with global trends toward sustainable development and health-conscious consumption.

In addition to culinary diplomacy, Japan employs a diverse array of soft power tools — including fashion, anime, technological innovation, heritage promotion, and educational outreach — forming a multidimensional strategy designed to cultivate sustainable international influence. By leveraging food culture as a diplomatic tool, Japan fosters cross-cultural understanding, promotes economic vitality, and strengthens political alliances. This approach confirms the critical role of cultural diplomacy within modern international relations and underscores the expanding relevance of culinary diplomacy as a vehicle for national power and prestige in the twenty-first century.

  1. Joseph S. Nye, Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics (New York: Public Affairs, 2004). ↩︎
  2. Yuichi Lam, “Cool Japan Strategy and the Cultural Industry,” East Asian Policy 6, no. 4 (2014): 38–49. ↩︎
  3. Nye, Soft Power. ↩︎
  4. Joseph S. Nye, “The Future of Power,” Foreign Affairs 90, no. 1 (2011): 2–12. ↩︎
  5. Nicholas J. Cull, “Public Diplomacy: Taxonomies and Histories,” The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 616, no. 1 (2008): 31–54. ↩︎
  6. Craig LaBan, “The Role of Food in Public Diplomacy,” The Hague Journal of Diplomacy 7, no. 2 (2012): 151–157. ↩︎
  7. Rachel Rockower, “Recipes for Gastrodiplomacy,” Place Branding and Public Diplomacy 8, no. 3 (2012): 235–246. ↩︎
  8. Claude Fischler, “Food, Self and Identity,” Social Science Information 33, no. 2 (1994): 275–292. ↩︎
  9. Cull, “Public Diplomacy.” ↩︎
  10. Nye, Soft Power. ↩︎
  11. Naomichi Ishige, The History and Culture of Japanese Food (London: Routledge, 2011). ↩︎
  12. Yuichi Lam, “Cool Japan Strategy and the Cultural Industry,” East Asian Policy 6, no. 4 (2014): 38–49. ↩︎
  13. Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). “Japanese Food Promotion Policy.” 2018. ↩︎
  14. Sangkyun Kim, “Food as a Bridge Between Korea and Japan: A Culinary Diplomacy Perspective,” Asian Studies Review 40, no. 3 (2016): 414–428. ↩︎
  15. Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), “Japanese Cuisine Overseas: Growth and Impact,” 2020. ↩︎
  16. Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). “Japanese Food Promotion Policy.” 2018. ↩︎
  17. Japan Tourism Agency, “Survey on Travel Motivations of Foreign Visitors to Japan,” 2019. ↩︎
  18. Japan Society. Japan Week Annual Report. New York: Japan Society, 2019. ↩︎
  19. European Japanese Association. European Washoku Week Impact Report. Brussels: EJA, 2018. ↩︎
  20. International Olympic Committee, “Tokyo 2020 Olympic Culinary Program Report,” 2021. ↩︎
  21. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), “Public Perceptions of Japan in Southeast Asia,” 201. ↩︎
  22. Yuichi Lam, “Cool Japan Strategy and the Cultural Industry,” East Asian Policy 6, no. 4 (2014): 38–49. ↩︎
  23. Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), “Japanese Cuisine Overseas: Growth and Impact,” 2020. ↩︎
  24. Mila Kaneva, “Public Diplomacy and Popular Culture,” International Journal of Cultural Policy 17, no.2 (2011): 145–161. ↩︎

Featured/Headline Image Caption and Citation: Japanese Mochi, Image sourced from PICRYL | CC License, no changes made

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