Cool Japan Strategy: Focus on Cultural Impact and Economic Opportunities in Bangladesh

Abstract

This study investigates the cultural impact and economic implications of Japan's Cool Japan strategy in Bangladesh, a context largely overlooked in existing scholarship. Drawing on an exploratory survey-based design, combining an internet-based survey of 533 Bangladeshi respondents with secondary sources including policy documents and institutional reports, the study examines the penetration of Japanese popular culture and its socioeconomic reverberations in Bangladesh. Findings reveal that 84% of respondents are familiar with Japanese popular culture, with anime (20.21%), manga (11.69%), and Japanese cuisine (11.59%) as the most recognised elements. Over two-thirds (68.86%) expressed interest in participating in Japanese cultural events, and approximately half (50.66%) indicated that engagement with Japanese pop culture motivated them to consider learning the Japanese language. Beyond cultural consumption, the strategy has catalysed tangible economic benefits, including the expansion of over 320 Japanese firms, rising bilateral trade exceeding USD 4 billion, growing foreign direct investment reaching USD 122.7 million in FY2022, and major infrastructure cooperation through JICA. The findings underscore the multidimensional nature of Japan's soft power and the mutually reinforcing relationship between cultural diplomacy and economic integration in the Japan-Bangladesh bilateral relationship.

Social Science Review [The Dhaka University Studies, Part-D], Vol. 43, No.1, June 2026, pp. 227-245.