Projecting Ramen Through the Screen: Japan’s Cultural Diplomacy on TikTok in the European Public Sphere

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6463-918-6_46How to use a DOI?

Keywords

TikTok; Cultural Diplomacy; Ramen Restaurants; European

Abstract

This research aims how Japan’s cultural diplomacy is manifested through ramen themed content on TikTok and how European audiences respond within the digital public sphere. Utilizing the theory of cultural diplomacy and the concept of soft power, the research positions TikTok as a strategic medium for disseminating Japanese popular culture in an appealing and non-coercive manner. Ramen, as a symbol of Japanese culinary identity, is not merely presented as a passive object of consumption, but as a medium for active cultural exchange. Analysis of ramen related TikTok content reveals that European creators do not simply receive Japanese culture; they also play an active role in reproducing, modifying, and reinterpreting that culinary identity within their local contexts. Such creative responses indicate the success of Japan’s cultural diplomacy, wherein international audiences engage actively and integrate foreign culture into their personal and communal expressions. In this context, TikTok functions not only as a tool for cross-cultural communication but also as a new arena where soft power operates through visual aesthetics, algorithmic exposure, and social interaction. The result of this study affirm that cultural diplomacy through digital media not only builds a positive image of the culture-exporting nation but also generates cross cultural creativity that further strengthens Japan’s global influence.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Hana Sherly Rijanti
AU  - Shobichatul Aminah
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/16
TI  - Projecting Ramen Through the Screen: Japan’s Cultural Diplomacy on TikTok in the European Public Sphere
BT  - Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Strategic and Global Studies 2025 ((ICSGS 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 745
EP  - 766
SN  - 2667-128X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-918-6_46
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-918-6_46
ID  - Rijanti2025
ER  -