To address the issue of the lack of integration and common policy among Japan’s cultural promotion actors and institutions, Gadjeva explores an integrated approach for Japanese public diplomacy through public-private partnerships. She examines the potential of the Japan Foundation as a central public diplomacy actor in Europe, facilitating a Public-Private Partnership Platform. Focusing on France and Bulgaria, Gadjeva observes the Japan Foundation’s role, contributions, and activities implemented between the 1970s and 2018, both autonomously and in collaboration with Japanese and local public and private actors. She compares the Foundation’s initiatives in the two countries, highlighting both the strong points and the space for improvement. In addition, Gadjeva points out essential Japanese, French, and Bulgarian actors with potential for future cooperation with the Japan Foundation through public-private partnerships. Drawing on her interviews with Bulgarian and French representatives, she examines the image of Japan and the future expectations from Japan. Revealing certain cultural aspects and less-explored areas of Japanese soft power, she proposes specific project proposals for integrated public diplomacy initiatives implemented through a Public-Private Partnership Platform facilitated by the Japan Foundation. Providing valuable insights into the strong and insufficient points of Japan’s public diplomacy in Europe and policy recommendations, this book will be of great interest to scholars and professionals in the spheres of Japanese public diplomacy, foreign cultural policy, and Japanese-European international relations.

Gadjeva uses Kyoto as a case study to explore the innovative mechanisms being used to promote Japanese culture and cultural properties since the outbreak of COVID-19. Beginning by setting out the main initiatives and actors involved in preserving, introducing and utilising Kyoto’s cultural heritage, Gadjeva proceeds to discuss alternative approaches using digital technologies. These tools include remote access immersive reality, virtual reality, augmented reality, augmented virtuality, and mixed reality. She looks at how such approaches have been applied to Kyoto’s digital museums, real-time online experiences, and other virtual projects presenting tangible, intangible, and folk heritage. In doing so she draws on a wide range of interviews with experts from the Japan Foundation, the Kyoto Art Center, and other related institutions to investigate the limitations and possible strategies for further development of these practices. She also interviews scholars, government officials and experts from Europe about the prospects for further remote online experiences, applied both specifically to Kyoto and more broadly to cultural tourism. Based on the findings, the book discusses particular future challenges and suggests specific policies and project proposals for further remote online experiences of Kyoto’s cultural properties. A valuable read for professionals and scholars of cultural and tourism studies, that will be of particular interest to those specialising in Japan.

To address the issue of the lack of integration and common policy among Japan's cultural promotion actors and institutions, Gadjeva explores an integrated approach for Japanese public diplomacy through public-private partnerships. She examines the potential of the Japan Foundation as a central public diplomacy actor in Europe, facilitating a Public-Private Partnership Platform. Focusing on France and Bulgaria, Gadjeva observes the Japan Foundation's role, contributions, and activities implemented between the 1970s and 2018, both autonomously and in collaboration with Japanese and local public and private actors. She compares the Foundation's initiatives in the two countries, highlighting both the strong points and the space for improvement. In addition, Gadjeva points out essential Japanese, French, and Bulgarian actors with potential for future cooperation with the Japan Foundation through public-private partnerships. Drawing on her interviews with Bulgarian and French representatives, she examines the image of Japan and the future expectations from Japan. Revealing certain cultural aspects and less-explored areas of Japanese soft power, she proposes specific project proposals for integrated public diplomacy initiatives implemented through a Public-Private Partnership Platform facilitated by the Japan Foundation. Providing valuable insights into the strong and insufficient points of Japan's public diplomacy in Europe and policy recommendations, this book will be of great interest to scholars and professionals in the spheres of Japanese public diplomacy, foreign cultural policy, and Japanese-European international relations.