Cool Japan

Foreigners are surprised by the cheapness of glasses in Japan and how quickly they are made. People with good eyesight wearing glasses for fashion are unique to Japan. At its root is not just poor eyesight but Japan's cultural love for glasses. Even words such as “meganemoe” have been created recently. We investigate the secret behind Japanese people's love for glasses from the perspective of foreigners.

Sengoku warlords, along with ninja and samurai, are currently very popular among foreigners. Foreigners who are introduced to Sengoku warlords through games and anime and become more knowledgeable about them than Japanese people are now appearing one after another. Foreigners who visit places related to warlords are increasing, and warlord goods such as swords and armor are very popular. Local municipalities are passionately endeavoring to revitalize towns through warlords, riding the waves of their popularity. What about Sengoku warlords do they feel is appealing? We discuss Sengoku warlords with foreigners in the studio.

What can be done to draw foreign tourists to the countryside? Local governments all around Japan are trying to figure out how to attract inbound tourism. So Shoji Kokami from Cool Japan visited a location. He discovered appeals of towns that Japanese people don’t realize from the perspective of foreigners who live there. This time the stage is set in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, which has few tourists while Kyoto has an increasing number of lodgers. What are the appeals of Otsu recounted by foreigners who live there?

Japan has a culture of subtractive aesthetics. By pruning and eliminating that which is unnecessary, the greatness and beauty of the essence is accentuated. This culture has been passed down to modern lifestyles and has deep roots. Words are simplified in email and conversation, and cities are full of convenient goods for saving time on housework. What eliminatory aesthetic is the world of Noh filled with? Is the eliminatory culture of Japan that is still maintained cool from the perspective of foreigners?

Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, Japanese people have become more cognizant of disaster prevention, disaster prevention related books and websites have increased, and emergency supplies are evolving daily. The tweets about emergency supplies by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department are very popular. At the time of the earthquake, the world was astonished that roads were restored in only a few days. Behind this recovery were the efforts and struggles of people in local construction industries. What’s the secret behind all the people of a town daily working on disaster prevention? We investigate how much Japan’s disaster prevention has evolved from the perspective of foreigners.

Three deep fried foods – tempura, chicken karaage, and tonkatsu – made it into the top ten of “Favorite Japanese Foods” ranked by foreign tourists. Japanese deep fried food is currently gathering attention from around the world. We investigate the secrets to the popularity of deep fried food through a tonkatsu shop where foreigners line up and karaage powder that doesn't use oil. How is it different from deep fried food overseas and what's cool about it? What is appealing about deep fried food that is leading the way to a new Japanese food boom?

The concept of senpai and kohai is rare in the world. “Why do you have to obey senpai?” “Why do senpai have to pay for kohai?” Relationships between people that are normal in Japan seem strange to foreigners. Foreigners rushed to criticize the senpai and kohai culture that exists not only in schools but in the world of hobbies and parents of children! Are senpai and kohai cool? We investigate from the perspective of foreigners.

This is the 13th year since Cool Japan started. "Slurping noodles is gross!" "Taking pictures of food is weird!" How have things that all the foreigners said are not cool in our 12 years of broadcasting changed as time has passed? We cover street interviews and report on the current circumstances through a thorough 2-week investigation. What does the world think of Japanese culture now?

How have things that all the foreigners said are not cool in our 12 years of broadcasting changed as time has passed? In part 2 we perform a thorough 2-week investigation. Is it cool? Or is it not cool? We cover street interviews and report on the current circumstances. We discuss how the way foreigners think and feel about Japan and Japanese people has changed.

Japanese people ask others what their blood type is and discuss blood type personality assessment as a replacement for greetings. Although this is common among Japanese people, it seems strange to foreigners. When we asked foreigners in the city, many of them didn't even know their own blood type. We thoroughly investigate habits that are common among Japanese people but seem strange to foreigners around the world. Why do Japanese people tend to XXX? We elucidate these mysteries.

Glass products are one of Japan's surprisingly unknown world-class technologies that it is proud of. A Japanese glassmaker boasts a top-class market share of plate glass in the world. There is non-reflective glass as well as super thin glass that is hard to break and started a revolution in smartphone cover glass. Even crystal eyes made by Buddhist sculptors during the Edo period that give life to Buddhist statues. We close in on the cools of Japanese glass where tradition and evolution intermingle!

Japanese fashion is gathering attention from around the world. With not only women but men using makeup and there being fashionable seniors, How does the world see Japan's fashion that continues to evolve daily? What are the things that Japanese people are particular about that can be seen through investigating the latest fashion trends? We investigate the differences in how foreigners and Japanese people think about fashion.

With foreigners swarming to the Arashiyama bamboo forest in Kyoto, Japanese bamboo is very popular right now. Japanese people have used bamboo for various daily necessities from long ago and have smacked their lips at bamboo shoot dishes. However, other countries don’t use bamboo as much as Japan does. Is Japanese bamboo, which is used for various things and whose taste is savored, cool? We search for cools in the bamboo culture rooted in Japan from the perspective of foreigners.

Many foreigners have been visiting Kagurazaka these days. It's not a tourist location for Japanese people, but that's exactly what is appealing to foreigners. They say that it has a good mix between tradition and modernity and is stylish. So we surveyed 130 foreign tourists who visited and foreigners who actually live in Kagurazaka and announce the top 5 recommendations. We investigate the appeals of Kagurazaka from the perspective of foreigners.

With a desire to do hanami in Japan, foreign tourists who come to Japan just as cherry blossoms go into full bloom are increasing. This time's theme is “Flowers” that color Japan's four seasons. What are the appeals of flower parks that many foreigners have been visiting in recent years? Giant ikebana that greet people at entrances – how are they different from flower arrangements overseas? With a focus on the relationship between Japanese people and flowers, such as flowers that show up in daily life, we close in on their cools.

Gyoza originated in China. However, grilled gyoza is now becoming popular around the world as a Japanese food. A gyoza bar where people line up appeared in France, and in China, its birthplace, grilled gyoza at a Japanese chain restaurant is very popular as “Japanese-style”. With stylish evolved types and local gyoza, Japanese gyoza continues to evolve daily. We close in on the secret to the popularity of Japanese-style gyoza, which captivates foreigners.

The fourth “Cool Japan Outing” is in Fukui Prefecture. Fukui Prefecture is one of the prefectures with the fewest foreigner visitors, being domestically ranked 46th for the number of foreign lodgers. On the other hand, it is Japan’s happiest prefecture, taking first place in a happiness ranking in 2016. Further, the prefecture has various other things that are number one in Japan, such as the number of company presidents produced and the number of hospitals. This time we again gathered eight foreigners who live in the area. They bring the appeals of Fukui that they know precisely because they live there and want to communicate to the world and thoroughly debate with Shoji Kokami.

The summer season for excursions has arrived. So this time's theme is “Outdoors”. There is currently an outdoor boom in Japan. The car camping population increases every year, reaching 8.3 million people in 2016. Outdoor goods have evolved, and fashionability has also become a topic of conversation with camping girls and mountain girls. However, foreigners booed Japanese camping sites that have everything prepared and leave nothing to be desired! Are the Japanese outdoors cool or not cool?

The fifth Cool Japan Outing is in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Yamaguchi's unalterable gourmet food is pufferfish. However, it is very unpopular among foreigners, who wonder why you would eat a poisonous fish. Tourist spots such as Akiyoshidai and Kintai Bridge are known among Japanese people, but foreigners have a different perspective. Motonosumi Inari Shrine, with its torii lined up along the coast, was chosen by an overseas broadcasting station as the most beautiful place in Japan. Eight foreigners who live in Yamaguchi gathered to search for surprising appeals of Yamaguchi that even Japanese people don’t notice. We thoroughly discuss cool spots that the world will understand.

Currently, Showa retro is popular not only among the young but among foreigners as well. They go to retro izakaya and dagashi bars, and some get excited about Showa songs. When asked why, they answer, “Because there you can find Japanese life prior to being colored by Western culture.” We put the spotlight on Showa retro, which may be called the representative culture of the times, and thoroughly investigate its appeals. What are Showa retro’s appeals that foreigners speak of?

Fabric is one of Japan's industrial products that are popular among foreigners. There are textiles, dyes, and patterns that have remained unchanged from long ago. Recently, new materials with excellent functionalities such as protection against the cold, drying quickly, and absorbency are drawing attention. We close in on the secret behind the development of silk underpants that can be washed in a washing machine. What is the intention behind Japan's traditional noren? We investigate the culture of Japan's unique fabrics and their appeal.

Restaurants under train tracks including those of Yurakucho are currently very popular among foreigners. They are gathering attention as a place where you can feel the culture of Japan’s commoners, for example their retro atmospheres. On the other hand, there are fashionable shops and art galleries under train tracks, and new businesses such as nursery schools, drugstores, and dry cleaning shops are being created by using locations near stations. We investigate the appeals of areas under train tracks in Japan from the perspective of foreigners.

The thing that foreigners living in Japan are incomparably impressed by is repairs. Is it only Japan that responds to lock and plumbing repairs 24/7? The passion of Japanese people for repairs is amazing; fixing clothes so that holes cannot be seen and thoroughly training new employees at a road service company. How do foreigners view the Japanese culture of using and fixing things with care?

The sixth episode of Cool Japan Outing is in Miyazaki Prefecture. It used to be the number one honeymoon destination and the standard location where professional baseball players went to practice during the off season, but honeymoons were taken overseas and practice locations were taken by Okinawa, and its foreign visitor rate hangs low at 39th place in Japan. Something must be done! So we gathered eight foreigners living there. They will search for Miyazaki’s unusual appeals and cool spots that the world will understand and thoroughly debate them with Shoji Kokami.

Foreigners have many questions for young Japanese people, such as "Why don't you hit on girls?", "Aren't you interested in politics?", and "Why don't you have any ambitions?" So we investigated the present situation of young Japanese people by interviewing them on the streets and observing them in the city. We elucidate their mode of life. What differences are there between young Japanese people and young foreigners? Will the foreigners' questions be answered and will they consider young Japanese people to be cool!?

A series where we rediscover the appeals of Tokyo in anticipation of 2020. Repeat foreign tourists are increasing. Recently, unexpected places are gathering attention more than tourist locations. One of them is Nakano ~ Koenji. It’s a normal district to Japanese people, but there are unexpected appeals to foreigners. We surveyed 1９0 foreigners in Nakano and Koenji, and we will announce the top 5 recommended spots. We reveal the appeal of this Japanese district that foreigners seek after.

The 7th COOL JAPAN Outing is in Nara Prefecture. It has the most national treasures and important cultural properties in Japan and, along with Kyoto Prefecture, it is a common destination for school excursions for Japanese people. The number of foreign tourists is increasing every year. However, about 80% of foreigners go to Nara to see deer and the Great Buddha. The average number of nights and money spent by foreigners at the destination are at the lowest level in Japan. So this time we gathered 8 foreigners living there. We investigated the surprising appeals and spots of Nara that the world considers to be cool and that Japanese people haven't noticed, and thoroughly discuss them.

"Japanese people tend to press the ‘close’ button on elevators." "Japanese people tend to wear big shoes." "Japanese people tend to care about change." These things are normal for Japanese people and they don't notice them, but foreigners say that these actions and habits are humorous and strange. We will investigate such things that foreigners feel are "so Japanese" and thoroughly discuss them in the studio. We will intermingle things that are both cool and not cool and elucidate why Japanese people tend to do them!

The 5th COOL JAPAN Outing is in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Tourist spots such as Akiyoshidai and Kintai Bridge are known among Japanese people, but foreigners have a different perspective. Motonosumi Inari Shrine, with its torii lined up along the coast, was chosen by an overseas broadcasting station as one of the most beautiful places in Japan. 8 foreigners who live in Yamaguchi gathered to search for surprising appeals of Yamaguchi. We thoroughly discuss cool spots that the world will understand.

Currently, Showa retro is popular not only among the young but among foreigners as well. They go to retro izakaya and Dagashi bars, and some get excited about Showa songs. When asked why, they answer, "Because there you can find Japanese life prior to being colored by Western culture." We put the spotlight on Showa retro, which may be called the representative culture of the times, and thoroughly investigate its appeals. What are Showa retro's appeals that foreigners speak of?