ABSTRACT
The economic power of Japan is all too obvious. And the ideational elements of this power are much less so. Believe that a careful analysis of the philosophical foundations of the relationships between Japanese culture, economics and diplomacy ought to shed some light on these elements. Despite the prolonged recession, Japan stands out as the second largest economy in the world with a GDP of more than US $30,000 billion. It leads the world in terms of the value of Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the developing nations. In a number of economic sectors, Japan is an indispensable partner for an increasingly large number of states. A wealthy nation such as Japan could bolster its 'hard power' capability much more easily and quickly. The situation is different with respect to realizing one's potential 'soft power'. The latter task is much more time-consuming and demanding. For the same reason, a well-developed 'soft power' is much more enduring.
