To what extent do the tropes of Japonisme still apply to contemporary appropriation of Japanese culture?

Tropes of japonisme and contemporary appropRIation of japanese culture
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Tropes of Japonisme and Contemporary Appropriation of Japanese Culture
Introduction
Since first, Europe engaged in cross-border trade with Japan, Europeans have been fascinated with the Japanese traditions. During 18th and for most of the 19th century, when international travelling was far from ubiquity, European colonists in Far East Asia in collaboration with trade partners make significant strides towards othering eastern culture. They went to a great length to portray these cultures in a romantic colour in their campaigning based on exocentricism (Ono et al., 2003). Aside from exaggeratingly exalted orientalist depictions of Europe, there were certain elements significantly aesthetic about Japan that speak for themselves. Japanese art had a distinct place that was mainly behind the western craze with the things produced in Japan (Said, 2003). Even though Japan has managed to sustain some of its distinctive features to this day, the values that it has followed from the western culture has largely eclipsed the drive of Japonisme.
Reflection of Japonisme in Contemporary Context
Historical View of Japonisme
In its purest sense, Japonisme began during the 19th century when the western colonists had the opportunity to intermediate between the east and the West. Before proceeding to the subject of remainders of Japonisme in the contemporary context, it is fundamental to grasp what Japonisme is. The idea is rooted in the traditional fascination of the West with an exotic view of the eastern culture. Japan was among the most profoundly exorcised and romanticized territories (Said, 2003). Therefore, the people within the West were crazy about using and keeping the pieces of art produced by Japanese artists. The romantic and exotic view of Japan thrived on the lack of international connectivity. Since there was no internet and other robust means of information, people had to put trust in the secondhand information that they received from people who had the privilege to travel to the country. Colonists' and traders' othering of the Japanese culture was based on self-centric benefits that these groups drew from such depictions. Exaggeration of exotic elements associated with the Japanese culture enabled them to popularized made-in-Japan products in Europe (Gbazoul, 2007). In this way, they could import the pieces of art and other products from Japan and sell it to the Japanese art-lovers across the European markets. The political and economic motives were predominantly behind the influence that Japan succeeded in creating over Europe.
Soft Strategy of Japan
Realizing the potential harm received during World War II and the importance of global integrity, the Japanese government gradually shifted its focus from militaristic to soft strategy. The soft strategy is based on co-opting and collaborative decision making instead of authoritarian enforcements (Said, 2003; Daliot-Bul, 2009). A significant stride of that strategy was the cool campaign pushed by the Japanese government in the last quarter of the 20th century. The campaign was aimed at reviving the traditional impr...