Japan as a brand: anime as a tool for communicating cultural soft power

The following thesis analyzes anime as a tool for soft power and nation branding in Japan, examining how it contributes to the global circulation of cultural values and to the dynamics of the international media economy. Drawing on theories of soft power, convergence culture and transmedia storytelling, this analysis explores how media, symbols and imaginaries circulate across global contexts through industrial strategies and transnational audience participation. The Japanese media mix system is examined through three case studies: Pokémon is discussed as an example of transmedia expansion across platforms and experiential spaces; Demon Slayer illustrates strategies of platform convergence and the commodification of Japanese folklore; Studio Ghibli is analyzed as a cultural icon contributing to the construction of a national identity through the analysis of the films My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away.