• Abstract

There is continuous debate about political, economic and military power, but hardly anything is said about the power of culture. In fact, the phrase is not even used. But that is strange, because without culture, there would be no such things as values, hope and joy in life – all things that are necessary for a person to live. There needs to be much more thought, discussion and debate in regard to culture and its power. In 21st century Asia, cultural exchanges at many levels have become popular. Each nation and region has finally started to recognize the power of culture, and begun to focus energy on the creation and promotion of culture. While this trend is to be welcomed, there is much more work that needs to be done in order for Asia to truly achieve a full-fledged “Age of Cultural Power.” That is because the power of culture is what will build a foundation for peace and development for the 21st century in Asia. In this lecture, I would like to look at the issues involved in cultural power from various angles.

• Review

At the 70th GRIPS Forum on November 12, 2012, Dr. Tamotsu Aoki, Director General of The National Art Center, Tokyo gave a lecture titled “The Age of Cultural Power: Culture and International and Regional Relations in 21st Century Asia.” In this Forum, he talked about what cultural power and cultural diversity are, and he discussed the role and mission of universities in the modern period. He answered many questions from the participants.