This past May, our most recent intern, Olivia Penick, completed her time with us, having diligently performed research on topics ranging from regenerative medicine to transportation policy. For her internship graduation seminar, she performed research and delivered a presentation to staff on the international rise of Japan’s content industry with a strong focus on anime, video games, and live-action J-Dramas. Starting from the 1950-60s with Godzilla and Astro Boy, her seminar cleverly framed Japan’s content strategy as a key element of soft power strategy and export promotion, while also detailing competitive headwinds from the Korean content industry and challenges with the workforce, a shrinking domestic market, and pressure to adapt to shifting Western tastes. Overall, her work provided a comprehensive overview of Japan as a cultural export powerhouse, having pioneered the “media-mix” strategy of merchandising tie-ins to popular intellectual properties, and recent efforts to expand the Government’s content promotion budget. Olivia is currently wrapping up a master’s degree at the Georgetown University, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, and we wish her the best in her future endeavors!