MATSURI isn’t an otaku event like the anime events overseas that attract all the lovers of Japanese culture. Don’t get me wrong; otaku events are the greatest for helping the people of a particular city build a strong affinity towards Japan, and they’re the most important foundation of my cultural diplomacy activities as well. But to me, there’s a lot that free, open-space events like MATSURI can offer that otaku events can’t. Why is that? Because it’s a chance to get a new audience of people interested in Japan.
At the fashion shows and other events I’ve held overseas, especially in places like China, I’ve been quite particular about holding them in open spaces like pedestrian malls and shopping centers for this very reason. However, when you put on events in these kinds of places, there’s so much that you don’t know until you’re actually there, so the performers and organizers often have to play it by ear. So it was a great reassurance when LinQ, a group who I speak with regularly and have spent a lot of time with in various situations, agreed to be a part of this latest cultural diplomacy undertaking.