#20 A Shanghai Street Store and the University Students Striving for "Kawaii" Relations in China – The Japanese People in China Bringing the Two Countries Together（3/3）

2015.03.04

Kawaii Japan
One of my encounters in Beijing was with the members of “Kawaii Japan,” a group of female Japanese exchange students that was formed last year. “Kawaii” plays a central role for the group and their approach in fostering Japan-China friendships at the university level.
I first met the group founder, Mizuki Kawamo, when she came to listen to the talk I gave at Tsinghua University in January. Not long after, Kawamo-san finished her one year exchange and returned to Japan, putting me in touch with the group’s new leader and the other members of Kawaii Japan.

As the former producer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Kawaii Ambassador project in 2009, it brings me great joy to see that there are young people like these girls out there who share the same intentions as the Kawaii Amassadors, like they have inherited their spirit. It’s something you just can’t not offer your support to.
There are currently 10 members involved with Kawaii Japan, and I was able to speak with some of the members this time.

▲ Here are some members of "Kawaii Japan"
The girls also formed an idol cover dance team, “Sakura Tornado,” performing regularly at anime and manga-related events across China and holding Japanese college girl fashion shows. I speak with Chinese college girls quite often, so I know just how interested they are in the way Japanese girls do their makeup and put together outfits. The girls on exchange also say they get asked about cosmetics quite often.

“I was nervous at the start of my exchange because you often see all the negative news about Japan-China relations in the media in Japan, but after seeing it for myself, their level of interest in Japan and their incredible ability to soak up Japanese pop-culture, like anime, changed my outlook completely.”

From 2010 to 2011 I acted as leader for the Japan-China Youth Friendship Exchange Troupe and together with the many group members visited China numerous times, and even at that time all the members in the group said the exact same thing. Those members are all at the forefront of their respective industries, be it music, anime, or fashion, and they all still hold the memories of that experience dear to this day.
The girls and I promised we would keep in touch and one day put on a small but proper event that the young people in both Japan and China can relate to.

▲ Two of my friends in Beijing.
My visit to China this time around was full of reunions with old friends and encounters with new ones. Diplomacy is not something that should be left to politicians and bureaucrats alone. These people are striving to strengthen friendships between Japan and China in various ways, and to me, they are all important colleagues of cultural diplomacy.

⇒ #20 A Shanghai Street Store and the University Students Striving for “Kawaii” Relations in China – The Japanese People in China Bringing the Two Countries Together - TOP

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Columnist: Sakurai Takamasa

Contents Media Producer, author, journalist, specially-appointed professor of Digital Hollywood University, Digital Hollywood University graduate school, Sakurai Takamasa is a cultural diplomat who produces events and gives lectures in 130 cities in 25 countries. He acts as a cultural diplomat pioneer with anime and Harajuku Fashion. He is frequently invited as a guest to various Japanese events held worldwide. Having written several books including: "Nihon ga Suki sugiru Chugokujin Joshi" (PHP Shinsho), "Sekai Kawaii Kakumei" (PHP Shinsho), "Anime Bunka Gaiko "(Chikuma Shinsho), he is a radio personality who also regularly writes columns for various newspapers, magazines and web magazines.

-twitter http://twitter.com/sakuraitakamasa/

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