Tokyo 2020: Taking the Gold in Sustainability? Soft Power and the theory of Ecological Modernization

Abstract: Drawing on Nye’s concept of soft power, this thesis discusses the strategic adoption of a rhetoric of Ecological Modernization as a discursive tool of public diplomacy. It makes use of the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games as a case study. Indeed, the increased perceived value of sport mega-events in promoting soft power suggests a political instrumentality in hosting such events. This thesis employs discourse analysis as a method to investigate, or deconstruct, the official narrative of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In this way, aspects of the theory of Ecological Modernization that are being used to frame the event can be identified. Specifically, findings reveal that Japan is promoting its soft power by throwing domestic and international political agenda in terms of sustainable development into the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In addition, winning the right to host the 2020 Olympic Games has given Japan a platform on which the nation’s traditional culture is presented to the world.