Off-script Cultural Diplomacy: Japan’s Official Cultural Institutes in the Spanish-Speaking World

In this thesis, I explored Japan’s cultural diplomacy in Spanish-speaking countries. I argued that cultural diplomacy has focused on the central actors working in Japan: their expectations, their goals, how local actors implement central actors’ plans, and criticisms of these. This thesis has uncovered another whole side to CD – the importance of local actors’ agency. Through observation of over 160 online CD activities and over 70 interviewees with local actors working in Spanish-speaking countries and audience members, I investigated local actors’ agency and documented how and why CD does not always go according to central actors’ plans.