Advertising | Welcome to Brand Japan.

Japan has always been one of those touristic oddities - beloved by those who’ve been & mysterious to those who’ve yet to go. But with a growing media landscape & the Japanese penchant for Adidas trainers & Camoshita blazers, the Land Of The Rising Sun has finally awoken to its potential cultural prowess beyond sushi, anime and J-pop.

And this is typified in a brand new advertising campaign. Showcasing the two sides of Japan - ultra-traditional & super-modern, not just in harmonious balance, but inspired by each other.

Beautifully shot with oodles of Japanese charm, it shows Japan and Tokyo as a mix of the classic and the cutting edge, finally ready to step into the limelight. There are more little vignettes, that you can watch here & read more about the campaign.

Beyond these films, the government is also beginning to take stock of Japan's soft-power potential as a commodity. Using the campaign as a starting point, it's launching a network of cultural outposts in London, Los Angeles and São Paulo as part of its Japan House project. The Land Ministry has even dispatched a team of experts to revive 40 (of the 500) traditional Japanese gardens around the world.

In the wake of campaigns like 'Incredible India!' and 'It's More Fun In The Phillipines', modest Japan is finally racing to make up for lost time and starting to blow its own trumpet.

It's an effective exercise in flexing some soft-power through cultural exports, as well as brand-building and nation-building.