Much has been said, suggested, and implemented for the upcoming Olympics in the capital of the juggernaut country of technology- Japan. Despite the privatization of the various components of the Olympics, the bidding process, decision making, and preparations are initiated and tightly managed by the central governments. Moreover, this control, intentionally or unintentionally, is often used as a ‘soft power’ tool to reach a position of economic power and sociocultural impact. Concealing the political unrest or upheaval in various countries, the Olympics has a history of boosting legacy. While several people cited this as an intelligent move, although including the inevitable economic loss, others protested against the successful dissemination of political propaganda. History has proven that the Olympics provided a medium to deviate from the geopolitical implications and shifted the world’s attention to sports. The prolonged history has been often used as a centre stage for unfolding geopolitics and power relations.
China’s historic decision to withdraw from the 1956 Melbourne games following the International Olympic Committee’s recognition of Taiwan made the presence of politics discernible. During the volatile cold war, the tit-for-tat boycotting of the Olympics witnessed several western states failing to participate in the 1980 Moscow games. On the other hand, the Olympics has been referred to as the beacon of soft power and diplomatic engagement.
Soft power and its legacy in Olympics
Soft power is the intrinsic ability or the attractiveness of a country, where other countries seek to follow its lead because they admire its values and seek to emulate its examples. Moreover, winning a particular event or holding a prestigious gold medal often reflects the country’s character. Oppositions announced boycott calls over the country’s human rights records and raised concerns over Beijing’s noxious and pernicious air pollution levels affecting the health of athletes. At home, Chinese organizations representing athletes faced the pressure of achieving sports success and acting as the illumination of national pride and paving a path for declaring China as the emerging global superpower. Conversely, the grandiose ceremonies embodied the rich historical culture of China and luckily escaped the crippling uncertain waves caused by the 2008 financial crisis.
How can Tokyo 2021 be a great way to illustrate soft power?
The official trailer released by BBC attracted negative views stating it represented a ‘stereotypical’ Japan. However, Japan is the juggernaut of entertainment and pop culture with its created animated characters being recognized everywhere in the world. The vibrant streets adorned with colored banners and video games getting the spotlight, all molded as an exhibit of soft power. In the throes of the pandemic, several citizens took it to the streets of Tokyo to protest against the scheduled event. Going ahead in a state of emergency, the Tokyo government decided not to allow tourists, which bring in great revenue, to watch the games. This explosive exclusion of foreign fans could mean a loss of 200 billion yen. As of now, the Olympics face its first hurdle of 3 positive cases. If the games can deviate from a major incident and prevent dissemination of the contagion, then through a ‘soft power’ legacy, the pandemic can be a blessing in disguise for Japan. In this era of social media and a short attention span, efficient use of soft power is required. The country’s prime source of power is its vibrant and unique culture. To promote so, a prominent role was played by the MAG culture- manga, anime, and games.
This essential tool is called ‘cool Japan’, a campaign launched by its government to promote its culture in the diverse world. This strategy gained the undivided attention of the western world, where Japanese culture is readily being represented through theme parks and royalties of its cultural products soared to a whopping $12.5 billion. Cartoons like pokemon, Shinhan, and Doraemon are hard to forget since they dominated television screens all over the world. Moreover, Hello Kitty was appointed Japan tourism ambassador in places like China and Hong Kong. Becoming the ‘opium’, as per several tourists, the Japanese anime industry pulled off a record of 17.7 billion in 2017.
Each year marks a greater achievement for the cultural power and it reached its apex in recent years. The win at Oscars for “Spirited Away” served as a wake-up call for a lot of people in the business industry who had been degrading anime for several years. The creator of several video games and well-known characters, Japan has already etched its mark in the entertainment business and the Olympics can establish this inlet. Today, it ranks first in the world in the number of patents, second in book sales and music sales, catalyzed a new revolution for fast-food eating, and included innovative vending machines. The tech country is also home to three of the top 25 multinational brand names -Toyota, Honda, and Sony.
Same wave for Korea?
In recent years, Japan is not the only country rising and establishing its own unique identity. It faces a sturdy challenge from Hallyu- the Korean wave. Pioneered in the early 1990s to fix the rocky relationship with China, Hallyu was able to garner major viewership for K-pop and K-drama. Today, the craze for K-pop reached its zenith by paving its way to the Billboards. The engagement of K-pop bands like Blackpink and BTS is more than that of artists like Taylor Swift, Rihanna, and Beyonce. K-pop is a multimillion-dollar industry with resources invested in projects like stadiums, theme parks, and associations with well-renowned companies like Mcdonald's. Companies like Netflix are seeking to expand their influence by investing $500 million in 2021 for its 4 million subscriber base.
Can the Olympics offer a silver lining?
So, these intriguing and compelling trends are changing the notions and preconceived images of the eastern world. Moreover, sports is an eminent medium to transfer attention to the rich culture and a multi-faceted view of the host country. While there have been several controversies on whether the Olympics is financially viable for countries, especially during an economically draining pandemic, it is still the most-watched event on global televisions. The famous US broadcaster NBC alone pays $1.275 billion for broadcasting rights per Olympiad. In 2021, even after vaccination drives and campaigns across the world, many are still preferring home entertainment. This might be a good indication for the viewership, making the Tokyo Olympics even more popular than Rio’s. Even without foreign visitors and a smaller number of ticket sales, Japan may be able to recover the losses it experienced due to delays, protection measures, and opportunity costs through soft power. At last, only the route will predict this during such tough times. Looking ahead, Asian countries are the looming giants of soft power and are looking for apt opportunities to showcase it. Even the first country to successfully manage covid and return to normalcy will be able to earn a reputational gain. Thus, every occasion brings with it a glimmering hope of power in the light of a unique culture.