The Japan Foundation is key to the country's soft power

Nancy Snow is distinguished visiting professor of strategic communications at Schwarzman College of Tsinghua University. She was previously an Abe Fellow at Keio University and is the author of "The Mystery of Japan's Information Power"

Hiroko Tsuka became a womenomics success story decades before the term was embraced by late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as a slogan for female economic advancement.