As symbolized in the terms “cultural diplomacy” and “public diplomacy,” diplomatic actors and their platform have been steadily diversifying in the 21st century. Meanwhile, the question of what exactly diplomacy should accomplish has never been sufficiently discussed in the public discourse except in a small community of government officials and some intellectuals. Turning our attention to the world at large, countries are fiercely competing to establish their own brand image, as seen in examples such as the US’s soft power strategy and China’s global diffusion of its culture through language education. As the conventional justifications for diplomacy (such as national security and trade promotion) are quickly losing currency among the general public, what kinds of goals should Japan set for its diplomacy, and how can they be shared throughout the nation? Panelists from Germany and Japan, as well as other Asian countries including China, South Korea, Thailand and Singapore will bring the latest cases on their country’s diplomacy in order to reconsider the visions and directions of diplomacy in the 21st century.