ABSTRACT
This chapter is an analysis of “soft power” as a sustained diplomatic endeavor in Indo-Japan relations. The paper has looked into varied nuances of culture, language and societal norms and mores, which have been influenced by international policies on culture as an integral part of a globalized structure. Indo-Japan relations have been delved into and examined through the rise of technology, fashion, food, visual media, oral and aural traditions of language resulting in tangible gains in trade and commerce. Tracing the history of Japan’s soft-power diplomacy, the growing influence of Japan and its effect on the Indo-Pacific, along with India can be seen as countering Chinese and South Korean diplomacy through culture. While influence of Japan through diplomacy has been an official endeavor from the 1970s, through its “Cool Japan” policies, its effect on Indian visual media, language education and cultural systems have been shown with specific examples of cultural policies.
