The annual CJPF (Cool Japan Platform) Award saw 18 winners announced on March 5. Now in its ninth year (including its predecessor, the Cool Japan Matching Award), it showcases some of the most innovative projects coming out of Japan. Through the years the entries have consistently drawn on Japan’s natural, cultural and industrial heritages while often grappling with current issues significantly impacting its social fabric.
This year the themes covered by the entries ranged from anime, music, food, tourism, cosmetics and fashion to technology and more. The winners showcase Japan’s innovative technology while at the same time highlighting deep connections to its history and traditions.
The Cool Japan initiative is positioned front and center of the Cool Japan Public-Private Partnership Platform, orchestrated by the secretariat of the Cabinet Office’s Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters. Videos and projects entered for the award are evaluated on how they address and enhance Japan’s international appeal and contribute to its inbound tourism industry.
This year holds special significance for the CJPF Award, as Expo 2025 will kick off on April 13 in Osaka. During the expo’s six-month duration, an estimated 28 million foreign visitors are expected to stream into Japan.
If the award is anything to go by, Japan is well up to the challenge. It has racked up over 2,000 entries since its launch in 2016 as the Matching Award. The minister of state for Cool Japan, Minoru Kiuchi, said in his opening remarks at the award ceremony: “This year, there were 268 entries in the video award category and 103 in the project category. They were all of impressive quality, and the judges had a hard job deciding on the winners. I would like to extend my thanks and appreciation to the contestants, judges, staff and everyone involved in the CJPF Award project.”
Kiuchi added that CJPF plays a vital role in promoting Japan to overseas visitors. “Last year, over 36 million foreign visitors arrived in Japan, spending over ¥8 trillion ($55 billion). We are confident in saying that Cool Japan has contributed greatly in transmitting the charms and appeal of Japan overseas.” Touching upon the winners in the video category, Kiuchi said: “I’ve worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and know firsthand that videos are wonderfully effective when it comes to promoting and explaining the attractions of Japan. In that sense, the winners of this year’s video category may well provide pointers and inspiration to the inbound tourism industry.”
Winners in the video category
Two entries won the grand prize in the video category. The first was “Breath of Nagano: Creativity Born of Restriction,” won by Nagano Prefecture. “Breath of Nagano” is part of a multilanguage video series created by the prefectural office to promote the region’s artisanal and cultural heritages. It focuses on the city of Iida’s traditional mizuhiki, woven cords used to decorate envelopes for festive occasions. Iida produces 70% of the mizuhiki in Japan. In the video, Iida’s mizuhiki gain new life as a fashion item in Paris.
A representative from the Nagano prefectural office expressed their delight in winning the award. “We aimed to create content that highlighted a uniquely Nagano product that has global appeal. In doing so, we didn’t want to just treat mizuhiki as a commodity but show its deep ties with Japan’s spirituality and the tradition of showing consideration for others.”
The other top winner was “The Heart of Noh: English Edition,” submitted by grand master Tsunao Yamai of the Konparu school of noh. It was shot in Italy and France, putting a new twist on Japan’s ancient theater form.
“At its heart, noh is about peace, both in the world and within one’s heart,” said Yamai, whose school goes back 1,400 years. “I think that now, more than ever, we have much to learn from the spirit of noh. Last year, I suffered a stroke, and for a while I didn’t think I would survive. But I’ve made a full recovery and feel that the reason I’m still here is because I have a mission to spread the word about noh.”
Award presenter and judge Yoshiki Tsuji, chairman of the Tsuji Culinary Institute, one of Japan’s most acclaimed cooking schools, said, “The grand prize winners breathed new life into two of Japan’s ancient art forms. In fusing with cultures and markets overseas, they presented a new perspective to Japan’s traditional cultures.”
The runners-up in the video category went to “The Seri: Akashiura Fish Auction,” won by Akashiura Fisheries Association in Hyogo Prefecture, and “Uji ni wa Monogatari ga Aru” (“Tales Exist in Uji”), won by the city of Uji in Kyoto Prefecture. The former focuses on seri, the uniquely Japanese art and ritual of auctioning just-caught fish at the harbor. The latter is an animated story about Uji, the birthplace of Lady Murasaki, author of “The Tale of Genji.” The animations were created by Uji’s Kyoto Animations, one of Japan’s foremost animation companies.
Other awards in the video category went to “Rip Trip Okinawa City,” featuring former NBA star Richard Hamilton; “Plastic Free Friendship,” in which kids in a New York City public school are united with kids on Iriomote Island; “The Home of Aji Fry,” promoting a famed Nagasaki mackerel dish; and “Choco Monaka Jumbo: A Tastiness Found Only in Japan,” on one of Japan’s favorite ice cream treats.
Project category winners
The grand prize in the project category was won by teamLab Planets Tokyo DMM.com for its enormous appeal to tourists both inbound and domestic. TeamLab is listed by Guinness World Records as the world’s most-visited art museum with works by a single artist.
The runners-up in the project category were Anime Times Co. in India, comprising 13 Japanese companies looking to spread anime in India, and the Dual Pilgrim project linking the pilgrimage routes of Kumano Kodo and Spain’s Way of St. James and celebrating “World Heritage pilgrim culture.”
Other awards in the category went to the Oita Prefecture city of Hita, the birthplace of the author of the “Attack on Titan” manga and anime; the Honsekito Project in Gifu Prefecture, about knife and sword craftsmanship; Hiraku Sumo Hall in Osaka; the Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition, which features a 3D ukiyo-e experience; and a fully customized tour service in Hokkaido operated by Takarano Shima.
In the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan Award, the winner for the video category was “Ryu no Sumu Umi” (“The Sea Where Dragons Live”), made by a group of students at Nihon Kogakuin College. The winner for the project category was Kyoto Obubuen’s “Creating a Tea Wonderland With Tea Lovers From Around the World.”
This article was sponsored by the Cabinet Office’s Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters.
