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Universidad de Los Andes

Facultad de Humanidades y Educación

Escuela de Idiomas Modernos

Departamento de Inglés

Semanas Culturales de Japón como Intercambio Colaborativo y Cool Japan como

Herramienta de Soft Power

Oriana Isabela Contreras Díaz

Tutora: Prof. Emmanoelia Palma

Mérida, Octubre de 2022

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Universidad de Los Andes

Facultad de Humanidades y Educación

Escuela de Idiomas Modernos

Departamento de Inglés

Japanese Culture Weeks as Collaborative Exchange and Cool Japan as a Strategy for

Soft Power

Oriana Isabela Contreras Díaz

Advisor: Prof. Emmanoelia Palma

Mérida, October 2022

Informe de pasantías presentado como requisito parcial para optar al título de

Licenciado en Idiomas Modernos

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Hoja de identificación

Nombre y apellido: Oriana Isabela Contreras Díaz

Cédula de identidad: 26.371.628

Carrera: Licenciatura en Idiomas Modernos

Tutor académico: Prof. Emmanoelia Palma

Título del informe:

Identificación de la institución sede:

- Organismo: Centro de Estudios de África, Asia y Diásporas

Latinoamericanas y Caribeñas ‘‘José Manuel Briceño Monzillo’’

- Departamento o Unidad: Asociación Venezolana de Estudios sobre China

- Dirección: Avenida Principal de la Hoyada de Milla, Nº 02-76 (al lado del

SOULA), Mérida, Estado Mérida, Venezuela.

Nombre y apellido del responsable institucional: Prof. Norbert Molina Medina

- Cargo: Coordinador de Relaciones Interinstitucionales

Duración de las pasantías: 3 meses

- Fecha inicio: 6 de junio de 2022

- Fecha de finalización: 9 de septiembre de 2022

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Table of Contents

Page

Introduction ……….………………………………………………………….. 5

Profile of the Host Institution and Nature of the Internship ………………….. 7

Reflection Essay ……………………………………………………...………. 11

Cultural Essay ………………………………………………………………… 16

Conclusions and Recommendations ………………………..………………… 24

References …………………………………………………..………………… 26
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Introduction

Through the years, culture has always had an important impact in society and in the

way humans perceive and develop themselves in the world. Culture is everywhere and in

this globalized world, especially being a Modern Languages student, it is important to

take into consideration this concept to deeply understand the things that we learn during our

course of study. Studying the subjects, realizing that languages are more than grammar, I

was drawn to this intercultural world, religious studies, and foundational human rights. I

also became aware of diverse worldviews across the world and how different Asian culture

and Western culture are. To adapt my new interests to my academic goals, I chose

International Organizations as a professional option since this would allow me to immerse

myself in this remarkable world.

Having Prof. Hernán Lucena and Prof. Norbert Molina as my professors encouraged

me to explore different places to become an intern. These professors introduced us to the

Centro de Estudios de África y Asia y Diásporas Latinoamericanas y Caribeñas “José

Manuel Briceño Monzillo” (CEAA). The main purpose of this academic unit is to teach and

study African and Asian cultures through an economic, social and political lens, as well as

exploring their liaison with Venezuela. After careful consideration, I realized that it would

be the perfect place to improve my knowledge and deepen my perception on these topics

As an intern, I was assigned several on-site and remote tasks that ranged from being

a research assistant and creating content for social media to helping in cultural events and
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welcoming foreign dignitaries. Some of these assignments were rather familiar; others were

not. Therefore, I was able to apply the skills I learned during my degree and explore other

potential paths while increasing my intercultural awareness.

This essay consists of four parts. First, I will describe CEAA as my host institution

and my tasks as an intern, as well as the strategies I used and how the objectives were

accomplished. Second, through a reflective essay I will explain how collaborative exchange

is present between the Japanese embassy and the CEAA. As well as is existence between

interns of the School of Modern Languages at University de Los Andes and the CEAA.

Third, in a cultural essay I will describe how Japan exploits its most alluring cultural

aspects as a soft power tool to impact and reach positive receptivity levels in American

society, using authors such as the geopolitical scientist Joseph Nye. Finally, this last part

will be used to present conclusions about my experience in the CEAA, recommendations

for this center as well for the University of Los Andes and for future students that want to

be part of this academic unit.

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Profile of the Host Institution and Nature of the Internship

Created in 1995, the Centro de Estudios de África y Asia (CEAA) is an academic

unit attached to the Department of Universal History of the School of History in the Faculty

of Humanities and Education, at Universidad de Los Andes. This center teaches and

researches the political, cultural, economic, historical, and technological development of

African and Asian countries, with a special focus on relations with Venezuela (Centro de

Estudios de África, Asia y Diásporas Latinoamericanas y Caribeñas “José Manuel Briceño

Monzillo”, n.d). Also, this unit does outreach work through the publication of its journal

Humania del Sur, the organization of seminars, and the display of the brightest of countries

such as China, Japan and India by hosting cultural weeks in the city of Mérida.

The research team of the CEAA study Social and Human Sciences from different

perspectives. Professor Hernan Lucena is the Director of the Center and Professor Norbert

Molina is in charge of Coordination of Asian Studies, the Coordinator of the Afro-Asian

area of the Department of Universal History, and he is the Coordinator of Inter-institutional

Relations. Professor Nelson García is the Coordinator of African Studies. Finally, Professor

Ramón Dugarte is the Coordinator of Culture and Extension. This organization chart can be

found in appendix A.

As an intern, I worked as a research assistant, community manager, and inter-

institutional relations assistant. A significant amount of my tasks were related specifically

to the Asociación Venezolana de Estudios sobre China (AVECH); however, I also

completed tasks for other Asian countries like Japan. My internship was a blend of on-site

and remote tasks; hence the schedule was very flexible as long as I accomplished 4 hours

per day, 5 days per week. The CEAA´s workspace has 5 offices, a conference room which
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is also the library of the unit, two bathrooms, and a break room. Usually, when we met

there, we had the meetings in the conference room. I used my personal computer, but the

staff of the center and my institutional advisor, Professor Norbert Molina, were always

available if I needed an internet connection, a computer in case of mine was damaged,

books to consult, etc.

As I previously mentioned, most of my tasks were focused on the Asociación

Venezolana de Estudios sobre China (AVECH). This association promotes academic and

cultural exchange and encourages studies about the People's Republic of China. First of all,

I worked on a database of Confucius Institutes around the world. This database is organized

by continents and it includes information such as the institutes' websites and social media

accounts. This would benefit the AVECH in terms of social media presence and it

subsequently would increase the scope of its journals Cuadernos de China and Cuadernos

de Cultura China..

As we can see, social media platforms and instant messaging services such as

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Telegram play a significant role for the

AVECH. During my internship, I was assigned to create content for the aforementioned

apps. Choosing topics was a very flexible process since I could pick any subject that I

wanted, as long as it was related to Chinese art, history, economics, national dates, or

trivia. Creating content involved creating images, flyers or videos, and Canva became an

extremely valuable tool for me. I also created the AVECH’s TikTok account to present its

work to a different demographic, as well as a Medium account to publish AVECH’s articles

and share information about China and thus be able to obtain a greater reach of people .
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Finally, I was in charge of organizing all the videos that were on Telegram and uploading

them to this new platform orderly.

My work as an intern also consisted of being a research assistant. I was assigned to

do a database about China, including its population, inflation, poverty incidence, local

currency, and all that kind of important figures for a country. Furthermore, my institutional

advisor requested a chronology of the report Historia de las Relaciones Diplomáticas

Venezuela – China (1943-2018) by Dr. Norbert Molina. Writing short articles for the

website was also one of my tasks. As it was the case when creating social media content, I

had some freedom to choose topics that were appealing to me; thus making this task much

more enjoyable.

Moreover, I had the opportunity to be a research assistant for the in-progress La

Asistencia Oficial para el Desarrollo de Japón en Venezuela, 1959-2019 by Dr. Norbert

Molina. This soon-to-be-published study was also part of the conference II Conferencia de

la Cátedra JICA Venezuela. In this study, I assisted in the literary review.

Personally, being an inter-institutional relations assistant was the most pleasant

task. The CEAA allowed me to experience this diplomatic world closely. Furthermore, it

made me want to increase my knowledge of Japanese culture. During these tasks, I

helped organize the XXI Japanese Culture Week in Mérida. I was part of the support staff

during a variety of cultural, academic and diplomatic events such as conferences and

ceremonies. These included the award ceremony La Orden del Sol Naciente, Rayos

Dorados con Roseta where one of the awardees was Professor Hernan Lucena. Also, we

coordinated the logistics for the concert of the renowned pianist Sadao Muraki in which the

Chargé d'affaires a.i. of the Embassy of Japan in Venezuela, Mr. Kenya Uno was present.
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Additionally, I attended to two conferences:“Japón y la Asistencia Oficial para el

Desarrollo” by Mr. Uno and“Las Relaciones Venezuela-Japón (1999-2018)” by Prof.

Molina. These presentations were very enriching to my academic growth.

Being an intern at the CEAA allowed me not only to apply the skills I had learned

during my degree, but also to explore other academic and diplomatic areas. These gave me

the chance to increase my knowledge, research and writing skills, and last but not least it

helped me to acquire new abilities related to community management. Since most of my

work was online, there were difficulties that I faced during my internships. Some external

situations, such as the inadequate Internet service, could have hindered my performance.

Nevertheless, I could find ways to face these issues and succeed in my tasks. Furthermore,

the flexibility of my schedule makes the whole internship more manageable to fulfill my

tasks in spite of any inconveniences.

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CEAA and Japanese Embassy, Collaborative Exchanges with School of Modern

Language Skills

As Modern Languages students, we have the advantage to learn linguistic systems

and other cultures more consciously and, therefore, increase our intercultural literacy. As

International Organizations students, we acquired the basic knowledge to manage some

elementary concepts of international relations, to understand human rights, and to analyze

how religions are a central character in international conflicts. During my internship, being

aware of these concepts helped me complete some of my tasks. However, we could argue

the program does not necessarily prepare us for the organization of international or national

events, and yet I was expected to do so at one point of my internship. Being part of the

protocol staff to carry out the XXI Japanese Culture Week was a challenge that I faced with

the help of the Centro de Estudios de África y Asia y Diásporas Latinoamericanas y

Caribeñas José Manuel Briceño (CEAA) and, unexpectedly, it became my favorite task.

Being part of an international exchange with Japanese dignitaries allowed me to reflect on

how a collaborative exchange is also present between the School of Modern Languages at

Universidad de Los Andes and the CEAA.

First of all, I would like to discuss about how the CEAA collaborates with the

Japanese embassy in order to increase their cultural exchanges throughout seminars,

forums, books, and, arguably, the most outstanding activity to the general public: the

Japanese Culture Week (Semana Cultural de Japón). In an article published in Revista de la

Dirección General de Cultura y Extensión by María G. Mata (2008), she describes how the

cultural weeks have played an important role encouraging friendship, as well as cultural

and academic exchange between Venezuela and Japan, among other countries.. To this day,
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21 editions of the Japanese Culture Week have been held with the support of the Dirección

General de Cultura y Extensión (DIGECEX) and the Dirección de Relaciones

Interinstitucionales (DIORI). Evidently, there is a successful collaboration between the

Japanese embassy and the Universidad de Los Andes and this has had a positive impact in

terms of diplomatic relations with Japan. In the appendix B, we can find some information

about all the editions of the Japanese Culture Weeks up to date. This includes the activities

that were carried out with the purpose of disseminating this culture and promote cultural

and academic exchange.

By being part of the XXI Japanese Culture Week, I experienced this collaborative

exchange. As defines by IGI Global (n.d), collaborative exchanges involve an “[a]ctive and

cooperative participation of two people who exchange one good or product for another of

the same or equivalent value”. We could consider Japanese Culture Weeks as a

collaborative exchange in which the Japanese embassy and the Universidad de Los Andes

are both beneficiated for the reciprocal help that together provides to each other. In a press

release named ULA y Japón consolidarán alianzas y proyectos by Prensa ULA (2022), it is

explicit how both parties benefit from it. During the press, Mr. Kenya Uno highlighted how

the ULA is the only academic institution dedicated to the study of Asia and Japan in

Venezuela. Besides, he said that authorities and professors have provided great support for

the promotion of Japanese culture. Furthermore, the chancellor of the Universidad de Los

Andes, Mario Bonucci, presented his proposals for projects in different areas. This

collaboration would benefit not only the Universidad de Los Andes, but also Mérida state.

This collaborative exchange was also present during my internship. As I previously

said, one of the biggest challenges I faced while doing my internship at CEAA was the lack
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of knowledge about how to organize or be involved in international events, even as a

spectator. My peers and I did not seem have the most adequate set of skills for being part of

a diplomatic event as member of its protocol staff. Nevertheless, the CEAA and the

Protocol Department of the University of the Andes prepared me through meetings and

drills.

Prof. Molina gave us an in-depth talk about the cultural weeks in general, the

activities that would be performed this year, and he assigned us some tasks in different

events. Ms. Eva Yanez, who is the director of the Protocol Department at Universidad de

Los Andes, also gave us a one-month training that covered several topics. These ranged

from our attire to choosing the correct order of the spectators. It was not easy, but I was

fortunate enough to have the full support of my peers and the CEAA. While participating in

these events, I grasped the true importance of intercultural competence. According to

Martin & Nakayama (2022), it is “[t]he ability to behave effectively and appropriately in

interacting across cultures”. As an International Organizations student, it is important to be

aware that other cultures have different perspectives and having intercultural competence

can improve interactions with people of different cultures.

Although Asian cultures are not as widely studied as Western cultures in the School

of Modern Languages, the Centro de Estudios de África y Asia y Diásporas

Latinoamericanas y Caribeñas “José Manuel Briceño Monzillo” (CEAA) has been one of

its most valuable collaborators, especially to the English Department and the area of

Applied Foreign Languages. Since the CEAA primarily focuses on promoting and

conducting Afro-Asian studies in the Universidad de Los Andes and Venezuela, students of

Modern Languages have the opportunity to expand their intercultural capability and explore
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a different path during their course of study. The research staff at CEAA has been teaching

seminars that focus on different aspects of African and Asian countries. Furthermore, this

research center allows us to complete our community service and internships by performing

a series of academic and cultural activities.

It can be considered that, as Modern Languages students, we do not have the

qualifications to be part of the CEAA. However, we can not only disprove this statement,

but also say there is a reciprocal relationship between these parties. The CEAA

complements the skills provided by the School of Modern Languages in exchange for

interns with language skills that can increase its global outreach. Because of the activities

that the CEAA carries out, it is required that they have interns or personnel who speak

English or a second language. Although it seems that we cannot benefit the CEAA, since its

main objects are Afro-Asian studies and the School of Modern Languages tend to focus

more on Western cultures. Throughout a collaborative exchange they both can take

advantage of each other and, thus, coevolve.

The knowledge shared by the CEAA to Modern Languages students and the

competences that Modern Language students are able to provide and apply in the CEAA

can be the grounds for a successful and profitable relationship. Likewise, the dissemination

of Japanese culture throughout the events that the CEAA organize along with the Japanese

embassy is also a fruitful cooperation. Lucena (as quoted by Mata, 2008) states that cultural

weeks are a gateway to introducing the host country to the cultural heritage of the guest

country. This reinforces the liaison between these parties. Certainly, we can say there is a

strong symbiotic relationship between the CEAA and several embassies in Asia and Africa.
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As students at Universidad de Los Andes, we can benefit from this relationship, not only to

increase our knowledge, but also to expand our professional horizons.

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Alluring Cultural Aspects, an Image Improving and Soft Power Tool for Japan

Based on Barker (2004), we could say that culture is included as a whole way of

life, which holds our experiences, our languages, our beliefs, our actions, our knowledge,

and all the patterns of behaviors and attitudes shared by a group of people. In addition, he

states that “cultural representations and meanings have certain materiality; they are

embedded in sounds, inscriptions, objects, images, books, magazines, and television

programs. They are produced, enacted, used and understood in specific social and material”

(Barker, 2004, p.45). As we can see, we are constantly surrounded by culture, even when

we do not notice it. Nowadays, culture is exemplified in cultural representations that can

transcend national boundaries, making it easier for other cultures to understand and adapt to

them or influence people from another culture. International institutions have taken on the

task of spreading Japanese culture around the world. A good example is the Centro de

Estudios de África y Asia (CEAA) through its nine editions of Cuadernos de Japón, its

XXI Japanese Culture Week, sharing Japanese films, its 2 editions of Humania del Sur,

among others. Indirectly, all these activities influence us and perhaps make some of us feel

interested in Japanese culture.

However, this research center is far from being the only institution to promote

Japanese culture and language around the world. For instance, The Japan Foundation, is an

administrative institution that focuses on spreading cultural exchange between Japan and

other countries. It has offices in 24 countries around the world, including States. The

foundation has two American headquarters in New York and Los Angeles and it “creates

opportunities for people in the U.S. to experience the Japanese lifestyle through its self-

organized projects.” (The Japan Foundation, New York, n.d). Additionally, the Japanese
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government created the Cool Japan strategy in 2013 to use the country’s representations as

an engine of economic growth and, thus, increase Japan's soft power (Craig, 2017). For the

purposes of this essay, we will focus on how Japan utilize its most alluring cultural aspects

as a soft power tool to impact and appeals in American society.

First of all, it is important to explain what soft power is. This concept was coined by

the geopolitical scientist Joseph Nye (2004), and he states that soft power is the ability of a

country to persuade other countries without the need of using threats, economic sanctions,

or military force. “Soft power rests on the ability to shape the preferences of others” (Nye,

2004, p.20). Likewise, the idea of soft power is to get the outcome that a nation wants via

an indirect approach using its cultural manifestations, such as symbols, heroes, rituals and

values. This concept has become an important tool in the international relations field.

“Political leaders have long understood the power that comes from attraction.” (Nye, 2004,

p.21). As a currently popular concept, it shows that it is not necessary to use force to gain

power. Consequently, many countries are aware of the importance that soft power has taken

during the last years. However, Nye himself states that soft power goes beyond just

influence;

Soft power is not merely the same as influence. (…) is more than just

persuasion or the ability to move people by argument, though that is an

important part of it. It is also the ability to attract, and attraction often leads to

acquiescence. Simply put, in behavioral terms soft power is attractive power.

(Nye, 2004, p.21)

We could argue that a country’s soft power rests on three resources: its culture, its

political values, and its foreign policies (Nye, 2004). These three pillars also have sub-
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indices which are enterprise, education, digital, government, engagement, and culture.

(McClory, 2019, p.27). Throughout this essay, we are going to focus specifically on

culture as a soft power resource. As previously stated, culture is a whole way of life that

contains many things such as practices and values. Likewise, cultural manifestations like

high culture (art or literature) and pop culture (mass entertainment), are a good way to

reach out to other cultures. “When a country’s culture promotes universal values that other

nations can readily identify with, it makes them naturally attractive to others” (McClory,

2019, p.27).

Although a country can achieve a good position with its cultural attractions, this

depend on the relationship that a country has with other countries. Nye (2004) illustrates an

example related to Japan. Despite the overwhelming success of Pokémon, these video

games do not guarantee the policy outcomes that Japan wants to reach such as rebuilding its

image and improving its economy. Context is a key element of soft power. In other words,

“[t]his is not to deny that popular culture is often a resource that produces soft power, but as

we saw earlier, the effectiveness of any power resource depends on the context.” (Nye,

2004, p.26).

At this point, it is important to describe how the soft power of a country is

determined. According to Brand Finance (2022), the Global Soft Power Index is built on a

wide-ranging research program that involves more than “100,000 people across more than

100 countries, surveying perceptions of soft power of 120 nations from around the world.”

(p.22). As a country’s soft power resources, Political Values, Foreign Policies and Culture

manage different metrics. Culture, specifically, measures the quality, international reach,
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and appeal of a country’s cultural production, as well as the global reach of its art, films,

food and sports. (McClory, 2019).

Since 2018, Japan has reached the top 10 soft power nations along with

countries such as the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and China.

(Brand Finance). This could be seen as a significant shift on how Japan is perceived

internationally. Nowadays, Japan is not as closely linked to its militarism, especially by the

younger generation. Instead, it stands out for its culture industry such as manga and anime

which had a remarkable expansion in the 80s with a significant audience in US society

(Loreno, 2016, as quoted in Gascon, 2021).

Moreover, globalization has facilitated the global expansion of Japanese popular

culture, which has been well accepted, specifically in American society. A great example of

this statement is Japanese anime. “Japan has made deep inroads into American culture, (…)

Japanese anime-style cartoons currently fill the majority of time slots in the after-school

and Saturday morning schedules on U.S. cable television. The cartoon and video game

franchise Pokémon (…) even made the cover of Time magazine.” (McGray, 2009, para. 8).

In other words, the acceptance of anime and Japanese video games could increase the

interest to learn the Japanese language or make Americans want to visit the country. Kanert

(2018) states;

The number of university students studying Japanese grew by 3.1% (…) a US-based

Japanese language and culture competition for high school students, 42% of

participants said they started studying Japanese because of anime and manga, and

28% said it was because they liked Japanese culture. (para, 2,3)
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Undoubtedly, anime and manga have aroused a huge interest in people, which is a

plus for Japan. We need to take into account that this culture industry also has an important

significance in the Japanese economy. A report from 2021 from The Association of

Japanese Animations shows that the total value of the anime industry reached 2.4 trillion

yen. Anime and manga as cultural attractions with an expansion facility, can be used in

order to gain economic profit from this. Kangling (2014) said “[a]n attractive culture is one

that can be spread at a low cost, making a profit in today's consumer society. With the help

of mass media and marketing, Japanese food and animation is spreading throughout the

US.” (para, 8, 9). Easy outreach to the public, via social networks and taking advantage of

this in the age of globalization, has made these cultural manifestations a success in this

western country, especially in young people.

Furthermore, this success can be used for a number of purposes. Japan's cultural

exports not only helped to improve its national image and boost its economy, but also to

project its soft power (Lux, 2021). Cool Japan “refers to the aspects of Japanese culture

that non-Japanese perceive as ´cool.´” (Cool Japan Strategy Promotion Council, 2015, p, 1.)

such as the cultural manifestations which we have developed throughout this essay. Cool

Japan Fund was founded in November 2013 as a public-private fund which goal is to

expand overseas its cultural attractions through its culinary area, art, fashion, mass

entertainment, among others, in order to promote the development of demand for

outstanding Japanese products. (Cool Japan Fund, n.d). The interesting thing is to consider

how this has impacted American's fashion, entertainment, fast food and even its most

successful movies.
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Nowadays, accessories are something that are part of our daily outfits and in

America, teenagers buy Hello Kitty purses and cell phone cases as icons of Tokyo pop chic

(McGrey, 2009), Also, with technology, the entertainment media have evolved and this is

evident in a consumerist country as the United States. According to Statista (2022),

Nintendo DS is the most video game consoles sold in North America with 57.92 million

units. Moreover, Kelts, in his book Japanamerica: How Japanese pop culture has invaded

the U.S. (2006), explains the influence that Japanese culture has had in Hollywood movies

such as Matrix (1999) and Kill Bill (2003), besides the prominence that anime has taken in

the televisions of young people. “Anime is beginning to dictate the look and style, and even

forming the bases, of major Hollywood movies. Anime and its ambiguous, sometimes

apocalyptic plotlines dominate the leisure hours of millions of children and young people”

(p.114).

As we previously said, even if Japanese cultural products are very alluring and have

numerous popularity, it does not ensure that the archipelago reaches all the goals that it sets

for itself. After WWII, Japan has managed to improve its reputation by trying to overcome

its severe actions through soft power and boost its economy to rebuild its image. (Sabukaru,

n.d). Furthermore, the Japanese government has been seeking strategies to overcome its

economic problems. For instance:

the anime industry market which had been growing for ten years straight,

received a direct hit from COVID-19 (…) [o]f the nine windows that the anime

industry market is made up of, seven (excluding Streaming and International)

reported lower profits than the year before and overall reported a loss of 3.5%. (The

Association of Japanese Animations, 2022, p.2).

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However, the demand for people to stay at home reached its highest profits ever at

93 billion yen, and the international market surpassed the domestic market for the first time

at 1.2 trillion yen (The Association of Japanese Animations, 2022). Anime is still a boost to

the Japanese economy even though the industry has been hit by the pandemic. However,

Cool Japan is not delivering the results that the Japanese government expected.

Although Cool Japan and the things it involves have been successful, it has not

brought the profits that were expected when the fund was created back in 2013. Tsutsui

(2022) states; “Cool Japan Fund Inc. may be merged with other investment funds or

eliminated if it cannot turn around its losses soon.” (para,1.) Besides, he explains that in the

first semester of 2022, the government contributed a total of $789 million to the fund, also,

some subcommittee members recommended eliminating the fund, since after May 2021,

losses increased to 30.9 billion yen. (Tsutsui, 2022). Cool Japan has not had the economic

impact that the Japanese government has been trying to achieve, but it cannot be denied that

this strategy has helped them to be perceived in a better way.

Japan has improved its image and its economy through soft power. In this process,

it has been able to take advantage of its most alluring aspects that made them gain

popularity and acceptance in American society. Although Japan has not achieved all of its

economic goals, exploiting its most alluring cultural products has allowed Japan to rank

well in the Global Soft Power Index since 2018. In addition, spreading Japanese culture

through foundations such as the Japan Foundation and Cool Japan Fund has succeeded in

having a significant reach in American society. It is remarkable how Japan's cultural

attractions are a soft power resource that has helped to rebuild its image in the United

States. Besides, being aware that we are surrounded by culture and that cultural products
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make it easier to shape the preferences of others and transcend national boundaries, we can

realize that a country's strategies, mostly, will have more than one intention of being cool.
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Conclusions and Recommendations

My internships at the CEAA and having my first experience as part of the protocol

staff in the XXI Japanese Culture Week made me aware that collaborative exchanges are an

important source for all parties to benefit. Moreover, I realized that these kind of events as

is the Japanese Culture Week, seminars, and its publications in Humania del Sur required

thoroughly organization and have more than just the purpose of spread its culture. These

activities also help to promote friendship between Japan and Venezuela and accomplish an

intercultural and academic exchange. Furthermore, it was interesting to reflect on how this

kind of institutions take on the task of spread cultures by its researches and activities, and

indirectly make us feel interested in that culture.

Collaborative exchange is something that we should keep encouraging inside the

School of Modern Language since it can be something highly profitable for us as Modern

Language students and for the future students that want to be part of this center unit and

expand their knowledge. Also, we have the opportunity to obtain new perspectives, and to

practice our knowledge learned during the degree. Finally, the CEAA can benefit of the

competencies that we could provide them as Modern Languages and International

Organizations students such as writing articles and the ability to speak a second language.

Undoubtedly, I learned new skills and practice some competencies that I acquired

throughout the degree. However, I would suggest to the School of Modern Language to

encourage International Organization students to be more active in this kind of cultural

activities since they will help us to know how to organize international or national events

and will give us first-hand experience with the diplomatic world. Additionally, the School

should establish a more organized alliance with the CEAA in order to have an enriching
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experience in which we can put into practice the concepts learned during the professional

option.

Furthermore, the School of Modern Languages should encourage us to write

research articles in order to incentive us to increase our knowledge while utilize the fact

that the CEAA gives us the opportunity and the help to publish them. As a suggestion for

the CEAA, they should improve the ways of disseminating information about the cultural

weeks. Perhaps they could use more popular radio stations besides of ULA station in order

to increase participation and attendance and keep active in different social media as it has

done so far.
 26

References

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 29

Appendix A
 30

Appendix B
Cuadro de eventos únicos en la SCJM o relacionado
Año Actividad Detalles
2000 I Semana Cultural de Japón Estados Mérida y Trujillo. Febrero
2000 Embajada del Participación en la Feria Internacional del
Japón Libro Universitario (FILU) Junio
2001 II Semana Cultural de Japón Estado Mérida
2001 Música Tradicional japonesa Concierto: Tambor Japonés
2001 Participación de la Embajada Feria Internacional del Libro Universitario
del Japón (FILU) Junio
2002 III Semana Cultural de Japón Estado Mérida. Mayo
2002 Actividades académicas Seminario Japón ante los Desafíos del Siglo
(Especiales) XXI. A cargo del Embajador Masateru Ito y el
Dr. Ismael Cejas. Mayo.

• "Japón ante los Desafíos del Siglo XXI".

Masateru Ito

• "Modelos de desarrollo Japonés. El desafío

de la economía globalizada". Ismael Cejas

• "Influencia del Budismo en Japón". Elías

Capriles

• "Contribución de la Cultura Japonesa.

Chanoyu. Eje de la cultura nipona". Roberto
Rodríguez

• "¿Una nueva educación para una transición

en Japón?. Comentarios sobre el rol de la
educación desde la formación del Estado-
Nación hasta los tiempos de la globalización".
Norma Sequera

• "Japón en el escenario internacional después

de la II Guerra Mundial". María Gabriela Mata
Carnevali

• "Importancia de los períodos Tokugawa y

Meidji en la historia de Japón". Hernán Lucena
Molero

2002 Embajada del Japón
2003 Seminario Internacional: Las
Nuevas Realidades en las
Relaciones Internacionales y
Derechos Humanos
2003 IV Semana Cultural de Japón
2003 Presentaciones especiales
2003 Profesor Titular Masao
Koizumi de la Universidad
Metropolitana de Tokio
2003 Dr. Rafael Cartay, Director
de Cultura y Extensión de la
ULA, en la Muestra
Gastronómica y Alimentaria
Venezolana en Tokio.
2004 V Semana Cultural de Japón
2004 Conferencias y actividades
31
• "Impacto socio-cultural en el pueblo Japonés
de las Bombas Atómicas en Nagasaki e
Hiroshima". Silvia Lidia González L.
• "Japón: Tradición en la Modernidad "
Hidehiro Tsubaki
• Seminario Hiroshima: Voces de la Memoria,
a cargo de la Dra. Silvia Lidia González,
profesora e investigadora del Colegio de
México y Universidad Sophia de Tokio.
Noviembre.
Participación en la Feria Internacional del
Libro Universitario (FILU) Junio
Excelentísimo Señor Masateru Ito. Embajador
de Japón.
Conferencia: La Política Exterior de Japón.
Mayo
Estado Mérida. Mayo
Prof. Ryukichi Terao, Universidad de Tokio.
Conferencia:"Literatura y Tradición en Japón."
Lic. Roberto Rodríguez, ex Agregado Cultural
de Venezuela en Japón. Conferencia:
Significación de la Ceremonia del Té
en la Cultura Japonesa.
Conferencia: Forma para el Paisaje, paisaje
para la forma. Septiembre
Facultad de Arquitectura.
Actividad organizada por JETRO en el Hotel
Hilton de esa ciudad y la Embajada de
Venezuela en Japón. Conferencia:
Característica y evolución de la alimentación y
gastronomía venezolana, septiembre.
Estado Mérida. (Mayo-Junio)
La clave cultural del pueblo japonés en el
desarrollo nacional
Exelentísimo Señor. Masateru Ito, Embajador
de Japón
Latinoamérica y el Japón ambiguo. Un reto
para la paz, dictado por la Dra. Silvia Lidia
González del Colegio de México

2004 Coordinación del acto de
despedida del Excmo.
Embajador de Japón, Señor
Masateru Ito
2005 VI Semana Cultural de Japón
Presentaciones especiales
2005 Coordinación de la visita del
Dr. Kozo Ishizaki, académico
y vicepresidente de la
Universidad de Tecnología
de Nagoaka-Japón
32
Conferencia y Demostración de Ceremonia del
Té por la
Lic. Amalfy Fuenmayor
Biblioteca Bolivariana
Fotografías: Nagasaki e Hiroshima
Galería de Arte La Otra Banda
Presentación y bautizo de los libros: 1) Japón:
Historia, Cultura y Relaciones
Internacionales, compilación de las ponencias
dictadas por el Embajador en sus tres visitas a
esta ciudad, editado por el Rectorado-ULA y
2) Hojoki: Canto a la vida desde una choza,
autor: Kamo No Chomei, traducido por el
Embajador Ito, ediciones El Nacional y
Alcaldía del Municipio Libertador-Mérida.
Septiembre 30 y octubre 01.
Estado Mérida. (Abril)
Conferencia: Cuatro Años en la Tierra del Sol
Naciente
Ex Embajador de la República de Venezuela
en Japón,
Dr. Carlos Antonio Bivero García
Pintura de Mu-hen, Mu-Ryou "Ámbito de la
nada",
artista Takako Kodani
Exposición fotográfica
"Un Fotógrafo Venezolano en el País del Sol
Naciente"
Carlos Eduardo Hellmund Blanco.
Exposición y curso de Ikebana
Instructora Olga de Pinto
Condecorada con la Orden del Sol Naciente
por parte del Su Majestad El Emperador del
Japón, Señor Akihito.
Concierto de Tambor Japonés por los músicos
Eliazar Yánez y Hideo Kawamoto.
Conferencia: El desarrollo científico y
tecnológico de Japón en la relación
universidad-empresa.
Auditorio de la Facultad de Ingeniería, ULA

2005 Coordinación conjunta con la
Dirección General de Cultura
y Extensión, ULA del
reconocimiento por sus
contribuciones al acervo
cultural al pueblo merideño
2006 Coordinación conjuntamente
con el Voluntario Japonés
Tomoyuky Mizuguchi
2006 VII Semana Cultural de
Japón
Visita protocolar
2007 VIII Semana Cultural de
Japón
2007 Organización y coordinación
de la visita institucional de la
Agencia de Cooperación
Internacional de Japón a la
Universidad de Los Andes
2008 Conferencia
2008 IX Semana Cultural de Japón
2009 X Semana Cultural de Japón
2009
33
Al Excmo. Agregado Cultural de la Embajada
de Japón, Señor Hideo Kawamoto, durante su
gestión como Diplomático en la Oficina
Cultural de esa Misión Diplomática.
Noviembre.
Presentación de la Exposición Ukiyo-E
Instituto San Javier del Valle, Fe y Alegría.
Enero
Estado Mérida
Presencia de la Consejera Señora Kioko Koga,
el Agregado Cultural, Señor Hideo Kawamoto
y la delegación empresarial de Japón en
Venezuela
Demostración de gastronomía japonesa a cargo
del
Sr. Hiroyuki Takeuchi, cheff del Ávila Tei-
Caracas
Bautizo de la obra: Hiroshima: La noticia que
nunca fue
Autora: Dra Silvia Lidia González
Estado Mérida
Motivo de la evaluación del Teatro César
Rengifo en el marco del proceso de donación
cultural del Gobierno Japonés. Octubre
Relaciones Japón y América Latina en el siglo
XXI a cargo del Dr. Masateru Ito. Profesor de
la Universidad de Sensei. Tokio-Japón.
Mérida. Mayo
Estado Mérida
Estado Mérida
Presentación (en el Hall del Rectorado de la
Universidad de los Andes) de las Exposiciones
Fotográficas: 80 Años de camino recorrido en
Venezuela por los inmigrantes japoneses y sus
descendientes. Cortesía de la Asociación
Japonesa de Venezuela
 34

Concierto de Hana Kobayashi y su Grupo

(Eleazar Yanes (Tambor japonés), Carlos
Quintero (Percusión), Roldán Peña (Guitarra)
y José Chacón (Bajo) Teatro César Rengifo

Conferencia: Patrimonio Cultural Japonés y el

Museo de la Paz en Hiroshima. Profeso
Hernán Lucena
2010 XI Semana Cultural de Japón Estado Mérida
Presentaciones especiales Concierto inaugural del piano a cargo de Gerry
Weil pianista

Conferencia: "En busca de otro sol:

La migración japonesa en América Latina".
Dr. Koichiro Yaginuma,
Departamento de Estudios Hispánicos Facultad
de Lenguas Extranjeras. Universidad de
Estudios Internacionales de Kanda (KUIS)
Cátedra Simón Bolívar, Facultad de
Humanidades y Educación.

Presentación de la agrupación Manos

blancas de La Azulita, y del Coro de niños de
Santa Cruz de Mora, dirigidos por las
voluntarias japonesas Rumiko Nakagawa y
Tomoko Shimohata de JOVC.
2011 XII Semana Cultural de Estado Mérida
Japón Concierto de Hana Kobayashi y Ananda Jazz.
2011 Apoyo a Japón por el Gran Realización y auspicio conjunto con la
Terremoto del Este DIGECEX del concierto de piano pro fondos a
las víctimas sobrevivientes del terremoto y
tsunami de Japón. El mismo fue ejecutado por
el pianista Gerry Weil, contó con la presencia
de la Agregada Cultural Sta. Chikako
Yasunaga. Mayo

Auspicio conjunto con el Grupo de Animé y

Manga New Kai de Mérida de recolectas de
fondos en los semáforos de la ciudad de
Mérida en beneficio a las víctimas
sobrevivientes del terremoto y tsunami de
Japón. Mayo
2012 XIII Semana Cultural de Estado Mérida
Japón
 35

2012 Ceremonia de Reconocimiento japonés a la Universidad de

agradecimiento Los Andes por el apoyo y solidaridad brindada
por la Universidad de Los Andes (ULA) y el
Grupo New Kai de Mérida. Marzo

2013 XIV Semana Cultural de Estado Mérida

Japón
Publicación del CEAA Presentación ante la comunidad de
los Cuadernos de Japón, una nueva propuesta
editorial. N° 1 y N° 2 .Mayo
2014 XV Semana Cultural de Estado Mérida
Japón
Evento especial Recital de Haikus de los profesores: Carlos
César Rodríguez. Fundador de la Facultad de
Humanidades y Educación. Prof. Eleazar
Ontiveros Paolini. Presidente de la Asociación
de Profesores Jubilados de la ULA y el Dr.
Carlos Pérez Mujica. Librería Rama Dorada.

2015 XVI Semana Cultural de Estado Mérida

Japón
Evento especial Recital de Haikus de los profesores: Carlos
César Rodríguez. Fundador de la Facultad de
Humanidades y Educación. Prof. Eleazar
Ontiveros Paolini. Presidente de la Asociación
de Profesores Jubilados de la ULA y el Dr.
Carlos Pérez Mujica. Librería Rama Dorada.
2016 Asistencia Cultural Participación de la Universidad de Los Andes
y CEAA en la Semana Cultural del Japón en
Caracas. Febrero
2016 XVII Semana Cultural de Presentación del libro: Japón en Perspectiva
Japón Autor: Excelentísimo Señor Tetsusaburo
Hayashi. Noviembre

2017 Festival de la cultura popular Festival Japonés Mérida, 25 de marzo 2017.

japonesa Proyección de películas: En el bosque de las
Luciérnagas, el Niño y la Bestia. Degustación
de comida japonesa y presentación de
documentales de Japón.
2017 XVIII Semana Cultural de Estado Mérida
Japón
2017 Andes Mun (Modelo de las Embajador del Japón Kenji Okada participa en
Naciones Unidas) la XII edición del Modelo de Naciones Unidas
(Andes Mun). Noviembre
2018 XIX Semana Cultural de Estado Mérida
Japón
 36

2019 Presentación de los IX Congreso Nacional y I Congreso Andino y

resultados de las Semanas del Caribe de la Asociación Latinoamericana
Culturales del Japón en de Estudios de África y Asia (ALADAA)
Mérida.
2019 XX Semana Cultural de Estado Mérida
Japón
2019 Visita cordial Visita del Embajador a la Unidad Educativa
Rómulo Gallegos
Embajador del Japón Kenji Okada visita las
instalaciones del CEAA
Fuente: Own elaboration retrieved from the Centro de Estudios de África y Asia "José
Manuel Briceño Monzillo (Eventos). See:
http://www.human.ula.ve/ceaa/eventos/index.php