Building Walls Through Cultural Exchange: NHK’s Cool Japan and Home Sweet Tokyo

In this paper I look at two programs broadcasted on NHK—Japan’s public broadcaster—featuring foreigners living in Japan, Cool Japan and Home Sweet Tokyo, the refracted ways which Japanese identity is constructed through gazes that are self-Orientalizing Occidentalizing. place within three contexts: Sugoi campaigns, foreign talent industry, increased concerns over Japan. Using a functionalist approach, my analysis highlights roles played by these society for audience, especially its representation of residents light cultural nationalism. While NHK produces some featuring non-Japanese hosts guests, Tokyo unique interest their purported aim to represent give voice