Crypton CEO will have a panel at The University of Edinburgh

In a shifting political and economic environment, both Japan and Scotland are grappling to redefine their position in the world. Culture and creativity play a decisive role in this process.

On the one hand, culture and culture transfer serve as a medium to forge international ties and to create “soft power” that would support the national interest. On the other hand, the production of cultural goods forms a sizable portion of the post-industrial economy and is an asset of its own that has become increasingly the focus of government promotion. The historical relations between Japan and Scotland are founded on culture, and both of their economies increasingly rely on the success of their creative industries. This symposium therefore addresses best practices and problems of cultural policy and creative industries in Japan and Scotland with a view to further strengthen cultural and economic ties between the two nations in the face of common global challenges.

• Date and time: Thursday, 11 October 2012, 4pm-7pm
• Location: Playfair Library Hall, Old College, South Bridge
• Please RSVP by 4 October 2012 - Email: Christian.Jowers@ed.ac.uk

Programme

15:30	Registration
16:00	Welcome and Introduction
	Japan's Soft Power and Japanese-Scottish Relations
	HE Ambassador Keiichi Hayashi, Japanese Embassy, London
	Culture in the Development of Japanese-Scottish Relations
	Lord Bruce, Honorary Patron of the Japan Society of Scotland
16:30	Panel 1: Cultural Policy
	Chair: Wendy Wilkinson, Deputy Director, Culture Division, Scottish Government
	Cutlural Policy and the Idea of the Creative Economy
	Prof Philip Schlesinger, School of Culture and Creative Arts, University of Glagow
	Creative Industries and Nation Branding in Japan
	Dr Shijii Oyama, Department of Media and Cultural Studies, Birkbeck, University of London
17:10	Brief Q & A
17:25	Tea Break
17:45	Panel 2: Creative Industries
	Chair: Prof Urs Matthias Zachmann, Asian Studies, University of Edinburgh
	Pop Culture and the Future of the Contents Industry
	Hiroyuki Itoh, CEO Crypton Future Media, Sapporo (creator of the virtual 'idol' Hatsune Miku)
	Promoting Music and IP Development in Scotland
	Ian Smith, Creative Scotland (Portfolio Music and IP Development)
18:30	Q & A, Discussion
19:00	Closing Remarks
	The Principal of the University of Edinburgh, Professor Sir Timothy O'Shea
19:05	Drinks Reception until 19:45