Japan has been part of the Western imaginary since Marco Polo wrote of it. The images of Japan in Western media frequently depict it as exotic. Studies of Japan’s internal self-identity have identified the media’s role in creating and perpetuating social myths. This study draws on both the Japan of the Western imagination and Japan’s internal images to examine Japan’s projected identity in export media.

To understand the construction of this identity, this study employs the theoretical model of propaganda proposed by Jacques Ellul. In this model, propaganda is considered the technique used to transform ideology into mythology, making it a central method for creating shared beliefs regarding group identity. Previous research into Japanese society has identified myths of Japanese postwar self-identity, including homogeneity, uniqueness, and peace nationalism. Other research has located the feminization of tradition in Meiji era policies. This project seeks to understand how these myths develop, how their acceptance is projected outward in export media, and to link these to Ellul’s model of propaganda.

The study employs quantitative and qualitative research to examine Japan’s projected identity during the postwar period and the ways this reflects the growing strength of Japan’s internal ideologies and the transformation of these into social mythology. The export media journal Look Japan (LJ) provides the data sample for the articles examined ( N = 1869). Five decades of LJ are examined to determine Japan’s self-portrayal.

Quantitative analysis indicates that there are significant differences in the articles and photographs over the period. Textual analysis reveals the strength of these differences and the ways in which Japan portrays itself to a Western audience. Together the data suggest that Ellul’s views on the influence of integrative propaganda are accurate. Time is required to move ideology into mythology. The data indicate that Japan has been active in constructing the Western images of Japanese society. For media studies, the results suggest that more attention must be paid to how ideologies are transformed into social mythologies and the length of time required for the myths to become accepted internally.

KEY TERMS: Japan, Jacques Ellul, propaganda, nationalism, homogeneity, gender, postwar