Public Diplomacy in Ireland and Japan looks at the role played by private citizens in the relationship between the two countries. While public diplomacy is seen primarily as a means for states to advance their interests, encounters between people, sometimes with official support but often on their own initiative, can also be very influential in deepening links between nations. This book explores the evolution of public diplomacy from the earliest times up to the present and examines how Ireland and Japan have separately developed the use of public diplomacy as part of their foreign policy strategies. It considers how connections between people in various fields - culture, business, education, tourism and sport - have contributed to the relationship between Ireland and Japan. It concludes that these contacts been very positive and have contributed greatly to strengthening the ties that bind the two countries together.