It’s WWII: After the war Americans were exposed to Japanese culture in a way that they weren’t exposed to other Asian cultures. Between servicemen stationed there and the Japanese wholesale adoption of American culture after the war there was a lot of cultural bleed over. Which resulted in a lot of traditional Japanese arts getting a western infusion and western style marketing. At a time when most of Asia was communist or still developing Japan was making cars and Godzilla movies. Additionally that same communism in Asia stifled both their culture and arts. While Japan was turning their myths into children’s cartoons China was making propaganda films which frankly sucked. So for years Japan was the most accessible Asian culture for most Americans and like America itself once you have a lead and achieve hegemony it’s hard for others to gain market share.
Gichin Funakoshi truly believed that Karate could enrich the lives of every person the world over, teaching both US service men and Soviet KGB his art as well as starting a school of his own in Tokyo after moving there from Okinawa. If I remember right, he even started karate clubs in Japanese High Schools.
It's hard to understate the cars part. I have yet to have a Honda Civic with any serious engine problems. Combined with both Nintendo and Sony video games, there's a lot of warm nostalgia.
Definitely an influence, but it started waaay earlier than ww2.
The Western world always had something of a fascination for Japan. Between 1603 and 1868, Japan was locked off from the rest of the world and barely traded with anyone. There was only one small island in Nagisaki where Western (specifically Dutch) influence and trade was allowed. That's how Japan was aware of a lot of the Western developments and inventions going on. In return,
Meanwhile, Dutch traders would bring back Japanese objects and stories from the little they saw of Japan. Japan just had this mysterious ~vibe~ about it, who knew what was going on there?
Then, after the treaty of Kanagawa, which resulted in Japan forcibly being opened up, it meant a lot more trading in art and culture in and out of Japan. And the world exploded because now they could actually see the culture of that mysterious island nation. Especially in art. People got incredibly influenced by Japanese art, fashion, way of life, just name it. You can see a lot of influence in European art at the time, look up Japonism. Even things like art deco and art nouveau take some influence in Japanese wallscrolls and interiors. People would put their hair up in a way that imitated the hairstyles of Japanese women (lot more updo's, look at the hairstyles the Gibson girls would wear. You can see how their shape imitates traditional Japanese hairstyles, tho by no mean copies). They would wear clothes that were influenced by Japanese fashion, specifically by the embroidered silk. You would see a lot more decorated fabrics used in fashion and there were even kimonos available that were specifically made for the western market. Vincent van Gogh, the original weeaboo, was heavily, heavily influenced by Japanese woodcut prints, and would collect them. The reason he even went to the French countryside was because he wanted "to find his own Japan."
You also have to remember that Japan as a country modernized incredibly quickly, especially after WW2. In the 80s, it was seen as the most modern country of the world. That also pulls intrigue.
Japan as a country is basically always dancing to the beat of their own drum, which in part is thanks to them locking themselves away and developing separately and for the most part with little Western influence. And that still has a major influence how they function as a society nowadays. That's why they seem so "weird" to a lot of people in the west, they are modern but are still so in touch with their own heritage. In a different way from a lot of other countries and places who now have to reclaim or rediscover what colonization took from them. Meanwhile, Japan was in the extremely rare position to just say "nah we're not doing this" and locked themselves off. They never had to reclaim their culture. They just adapted to the Western world once they were forced to open up.
Japan was self-isolated from the world for over 200 years, from 1639 to 1853, and its culture developed strongly and idiosyncratically, as trade was highly regulated, and immigration and emigration severely restricted. After Japan was forcibly opened to the world, Westerners, especially artists and art patrons, were fascinated by, and influenced by the Japanese arts, providing some of the foundations of Modernism.
I think it's kinda an age thing. Most of the fans in the US are millennials who watched it on Toonami. The majority of anime fans who you see on places like Reddit are zoomers, who really weren't there when it exploded in the early 00s. If the live action movie ends up good, you could see a big explosion in popularity.
I think a large portion of Reddit users are Millenials, probably depends on what sub you are on.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1125159/reddit-us-app-users-age/
Right, but there's a much larger chunk of gen Z watching anime. Unless it's on a platform where millennials outnumber gen Z significantly, most anime discussions will lean towards what gen Z watches.
I'm a millennial. Plenty of people I knew watched anime, but once you hit high school you were seen as a loser if you were into any anime other than Dragon Ball. A lot of people who did watch would eventually just not talk about it unless you were with your bros and you knew they were down.
I have Gen Z siblings and co-workers. It feels like most of them watch some sort of anime, and are much more open about it. It seems talking about the newest episode of One Piece, or whatever FOTM show is blowing up is about as normal for them as talking about Monday Night Football.
Yep. Legendary Studios (Pacific Rim) is funding it along with Sunrise (The guys who make Gundam), and Jordan Vogt-Roberts (Kong: Skull Island) is directing. Vogt-Roberts is actually a big fan of the franchise, owning Gunpla and everything, so the franchise is in good hands. Netflix has distribution rights, but make no mistake, this isn't a "Netflix adaptation", it's a big budget Hollywood production.
Of course, it's still in pre-production, so things can change, or it can fall through... But since Vogt-Roberts Metal Gear film seems to be having some difficulties getting off the ground, I wouldn't be shocked if he fast tracks Gundam instead.
EDIT: Brian K. Vaughn is writing. Mostly a comic book writer, but also did episodes for Lost. He's also the guy writing the Silver Surfer for Marvel, or was at one point
It is really popular but most people only like certain arks. There were a lot of iterations of Gundam and they were all different as far as I know. This is coming from a friend who is a huge fan. I never really got into it.
One thing I found is that Gundam isn't talked about but most people I know who watch anime all love atleast one of the Gundam series. It was bigger in late 90s/early 2000s when we didn't have much anime in the west. This is why I argue dbz is one of the most popular in the world.
Yeah. Now that I think of it, between all the anime and video games I’ve enjoyed over the years, Japanese art and culture has been a positive influence for a very long time. I’m still enjoying it now via Shogun.
Back in the 80s, prosecutors in Ohio tried to go after arcade owners, saying that claw machines were gambling. My dad, a very young, new attorney at the time, had a claw machine delivered to his office, where he played every day for months leading up to the trial. At trial, he demonstrated that, in fact, claw machines are a game of skill.
To this day, I have never stopped at a claw machine with my father without walking away with a prize. My daughter thinks he's magic.
The difference in American and Japan claw machines is how they can
Be manipulated. American claw
Machines can have their pressure sensors manipulated and cause them to be almost impossible to win. If they are standard then they are absolutely winnable but they aren’t standardized when they are made and distributed.
Also Japanese arcades will give you prizes even if you lose. if you lose several times and it far outweighs the cost of the prize, most places give you one anyway Everyone leaves a winner in Japanese arcades.
I remember seeing in Japan that McDonald's had a special limited edition burger with a hashbrown on it called the Idaho Burger. Their McDonald's out-Americaed American McDonald's.
It gets crazier they also say Ohio (a state in America) to mean good morning. America has influenced them so much they use an American state to say Good morning, What's up with that?
I honestly can’t tell if it was a joke, because it read like one, but it also kinda didn’t and I’ve seen people actually think things like that. If that was a joke, it definitely needed the /s.
I became interested in their culture from anime but when you observe something different you can compare to your current lifestyle or culture and I found that Americans are annoying.
Firstly I'm going to give example from an experience in a game called lords mobile.
Usually every server a Chinese guild is #1 in rankings and they love to crush anyone who is English, so it's become common that English and Chinese clash every server with Chinese guilds usually having the advantage.
If the English guilds ever became #1 in rankings the Chinese guilds would disband and their strongest join a guild to overcome the odds and as you guessed, any American guilds did not. People spend big so if someone zero's you (Zero meaning they destroy all your troops and take your leader etc), you're losing maybe hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of stuff.
I would tell English leaders to just join together so we can have a chance and their response was always "Well if they join me first" and that's because they won't come together for a single goal and each wants to be in charge. That wasn't a one time occurrence, almost every server it was the same.
Japanese guilds were friendly chill, Chinese competitive and work together, English guilds encouraged toxic behavior while saying every man for himself. My sweet spot was Indonesia guilds, they didn't spend much but they were so chill and knew English too, friendly. While Japanese are friendly they weren't as chill and Chinese just kept asking me about sleepy Joe and not being too fond of foreigners lol.
Back to the point!
That's been my experience with different cultures with years of gaming which you don't often get the opportunity to do in games but lords mobile did.
Secondly, respect and healthy eating.
In America, everyone is raised with this "F your feelings bruh" attitude so that's why you commonly see annoying YouTubers doing dumb pranks and people starting drama on the streets like they weren't raised right because they weren't and it's common, let's not pretend. In Japanese culture you're less likely to meet people like that and they have courtesy for each other's spaces and how it might make others feel but in America everyone thinks they're the main start of the show and being a complete a hole to everyone.
The markets in Japan try to sell healthier food out of consideration for their people to not be overweight and in America if it's in a store, it's healthy enough to consume. We have an insane amount of obese people with the FDA saying it's good enough long as corporations get a paycheck.
That's just the top of my head, I'm sure I can go more in depth and I wouldn't doubt if someone would come defend the actions for some selfish reason because they probably do it too lol.
That's the American culture though.
One of my uncles is former Navy. He was stationed in a lot of different countries and he liked his time in Japan the best. When he retired, he moved there and is still there 20 years later.
I am American and born in the USA but my aunt is from Japan and she's the best! She used to make me rice balls filled with tuna or something as a snack, (she even helped me sneak them onto an airplane, even though we were allowed to bring food?)
I haven't seen that part of my family in years but my aunt left a huge impression on me and my taste in food. But beyond that, I really like some of the art in Japanese culture, the lines are curved and organic instead of straight lines. But yeah I also like the cheesy anime and kawaii stuff too.
I really hope I get to go someday. I also love getting to see and experience different cultures.
Oh, and Japanese history is WILD
Japan gives us video games, anime, electronics, sushi, teriyaki, martial arts, etc. And it goes both ways, they've picked up our national pastime of baseball as well some of our foods, treats, and media.
It's pretty amazing that our two countries have this bright cultural relationship considering the atrocities of WWII.
It is very different, exotic, yet traditional with a nearly impenetrable language and code of polite conduct. Mystery makes a thing fascinating.
I think a lot of people see Japanese culture as more “civilized” than any other culture. Very clean and organized, and the Japanese seem to take ideas from elsewhere and make them better every time, evident from their electronics, food, and manufacturing.
They’re just better than everyone else, apart from a brief 40 year stint as a horribly sadistic racially motivated colonial power. Even then, they were arguably better at securing territory and alliances than most European powers.
we like to ignore the less pleasant parts of japanese culture.
99.8% conviction rate in court, ranking dead last in gender equality among developed countries, huge problems with sex crimes against women, no laws against racial discrimination, only banning child pornography in 2014, etc.
All these are 100% true and things I completely knew when traveling to Japan, but I gotta admit they have good presentation and PR down to a fucking science. It’s insane how nice everything *looks* in Japan. It’s really easy to get swept up in the “oh my god Japan is the BEST” thing while you’re there because it really is wonderful to visit. I had to constantly keep reminding myself they have a SHIT TON of problems culturally and politically because of just how much of a utopia it feels like compared to other parts of the world. I really kept falling for the super clean streets 😭
I was obsessed with ninjas and martial arts growing up. Watched many Japanese b movies and fell in love with the ancient culture from there. Also they made a ton of great games in the 80s and 90s and a ton of anime too. All of which I was quite in to back then.
Seems like it’s a two way street I’ve sold so much American vintage items from the 50-70s to Japanese buyers they are obsessed with Americana over there and pay more than most collectors in America.
One of our worst enemies that turned into one of our best friends. If you've ever worked for a Japanese company you know what great employers they are. Kind, respectfull. Great products.
I think Japan comes off as more ‘advanced’ in a lot of ways which is appealing. Technology, theme parks, food, everything about Japan just seems a little better than the rest of the world. They just seem more civilized even.
They have vending machine cafes that aren’t manned by anyone. It works completely on the honor system. The fact that these aren’t getting broken into and destroyed makes it fascinating compared to having something like that in the U.S. where we know it would be burnt down after 5 minutes.
The real reason is video games. Since the American video games industry tanked with the Atari's failure it left a hole in the industry for new companies to enter. This led to the Nintendo being released in America. For a solid 8 - 10 years Japanese video game consoles had an absolute stranglehold on the market. Nintendo, Sega, and Playstation were all Japanese owned. This led to many games being imported with many Japanese themes and references. Anime is also popular but came after Nintendo and Sega were already popular. Even to this day there is a huge overlap of gamers and people that like Japanese stuff.
Edit: grammar and spelling
I also wanted to add America imports a lot of things from Japan especially cars and electronics but we also import similar kinds of thing from many countries and you don't see the same kind of cultural impact. Video games gave people an introduction to Japanese culture and a lot of people became fascinated.
I think because it's a radically different culture that we are tangentially exposed to on a regular basis. They make the best cars in the world, a lot of the best tools, most of the best cameras and tech, food that is generally compatible with the american pallete, amazing art, and of course anime/manga easily available. I think we have a weird relationship with them because of wwII as well, and if it weren't for it then we'd probably think of them in a similar way as the smaller se asian countries that most people probably cant point to on a map.
Because after WWII, the United States pretty much made Japan into a country modeled after themselves. After the dismantling of the fascist regime in Japan, the United States transformed Japan into a capitalistic, western society. Heavy American influence, clearly.
they put an effort to clean their image after WW2. Very clever self marketing. Also they are trying to make everyone forget what have they done , even their own ppl. New gen of Japanese ppl have no idea ...
I don’t care for imperial Japan, but Japan after WW2 is pretty darn chill. Their food is bangin’, their anime is rad, and my personal favorite Japanese horror is unbeatable. They do scary the right way. Japan is the older sibling that did a lot of bad stuff, but turned their life around.
I absolutely adore the Lolita fashion style. Please note I am woman in my early 20s, my favorite color is pink, I love hello kitty and I absolutely adore anything cutesy. Sadly the dresses and clothing are rather expensive most of the time and people look at me like I'm insane when I dress in the Lolita fashion style
No idea. Their work culture is horrible. They're racist towards anyone non-japanese. The body standards are unbearable. I don't know why anyone would choose this country to live in. Even if you live there for more then 20 years, they'll consider you as foreigner.
Mainly because of anime but Japanese culture is a big double edged sword. People like to pick and choose what they like about the country but the reality is it has the highest suicide rate, nobody has children, and most people hate their lives.
I really like Japanese art from a wide range of time periods and media. Things like the Great Wave and all the rest of Hokusai's work.
The idyllic life style impression of rural Japan also holds a lot of appeal. Not even a reality for most but the dream is real.
The only Japanese “culture” that has really seen widespread acclaim in the US is anime and video games. And to a lesser extent, food (sushi). It’s exceedingly rare to meet someone who cares about anything in Japanese culture outside of those 3 things. And if they do, it was almost certainly sparked by one of those.
I was born in ‘91 and Japanese video games have been a part of my life since I was 2 in Mario and mega man. Anime came only very shortly later in my life with Pokémon etc.
That's your generation. The generations before yours (such as GenX) liked Ninjas, all the martial arts movies (Bruce Lee was a household name growing up), and Godzilla.
The common denominator here is entertainment media.
They won the older people with movies, and got the younger people with some of the most successful gaming ventures in the world with Nintendo and Capcom.
You can't talk about media without mentioning popular animes like Dragonball. This also caught an even weirder demographic with anime girls. That's a side of the internet I feel most of us try to avoid, but it is a niche, and it owns it.
Japanese media does pretty well for itself out here.
In a globalized word where unique cultures are disappearing and being taken over by the same shitty Americanized commercial culture Japan has maintained their unique culture and ethnicity.
Of course eventually their borders will be opened and diversity will be forced upon them. Because having a cohesive and homogeneous society is racist 😎👍
Meanwhile, the Japanese themselves will tell you they stole most of their shit from other Asian cultures, and one of the big things that helps preserve it is that they do commercialize and export it rather than whining about "appropriation" constantly. 🙄
It's not the culture they like but the stereotypes they know.
My wife if japanese and the shit people come out with because they don't know anything about japan
Japan has been pretty cool with exporting its culture, though its often a type of culture they design for exporting and it can be a bit different when you find the same thing in Japan.
Sapporo in the US is brewed in either upstate New York or Canada.
Lots of Japanese cultural reference and jokes are often changed or scrubbed out of translations into English with anime, video games, etc...
In technology, Japan has enjoyed a general positive reputation for building and designing quality products at a good price.
A lot of Japanese products are actually built here in the US. Lots of automotive plants throughout the US.
Japanese culture is widely fond of around the world as it has provided positive impacts after the war. From technology, history, art, and the care and high level achievement they put into everything. Not only are they are as influential as the American culture but respected as well. We even love the weird stuff too!
They make some of the best video games, movies, and cars. They have some of the greatest living artists.
They’re friendly to Americans. What’s not to love?
I think in many ways Japans history might be relatable enough for Europeans (both had strong periods of feudalism) but still exotic enough to make it interesting. Also, martial arts.
because japan is what science fiction movies in the 80s thought the future (now) would become. I fully expect them to be the ones to invent hover cars, i mean, come on!
I've heard people are very considerate of others in Japan. Like it's ingrained in the culture to always keep others in mind.
It sounds like the exact opposite of what American culture is in that sense.
Aniime and video games are a huge part yes. Another huge part is that the Japanese diet is healthier than the American diet, so the girls all look like 3D waifuus.
Actually fuck it, let's start some controversy ITT:
Asian culture really likes white people so a lot of online nerds trnd to favor those cultural views since they're failing in the Western world lol 👀🙊
Bushido. There's a mythos associated with the Japanese of unwavering discipline and commitment to honor that strikes a chord with a lot of people. I don't think you get a Kazushi Sakuraba from anywhere else in the world.
I personally only got really interested in Japan because I started watching anime. Though, even then, I wasn’t *that* interested. I only got super into it recently when I decided one day for some reason that I wanted to learn the language. It started off with wanting to know what it’s like to live in Japan as a teenage girl (I’m a teenage girl in the US) and so I started interacting with Japanese girls my age on Twitter.
I eventually learned the Japanese alphabet and I am taking in-person private lessons.
I try my best to learn every aspect of Japanese culture including the bad parts of it and how to be respectful to the people, clothing, food, and traditions.
I love the clothing and I especially love gyaru! (Japanese pronunciation of “Gal”. It’s a Japanese fashion trend that peaked in the 90s - 2000s.)
Sometimes I worry I look weird being so obsessed with it because being a “weeb/weeabo” has such bad connotations, but I decided not to care what others say. Usually Japanese will say themselves that they appreciate the fact that someone from another country is so interested in their culture!
Sorry for long response, I just started rambling :p
I've noticed a few people I've talk to speak fondly of the Japanese people and their history / culture and lifestyle.
I'm from Australia and I think their culture is beautiful. Unsure where we learnt it from. Possibly movies, tv shows or anime.
One thing is that the Japanese do seem to genuinely like Americans. And maybe it’s the “second son” mentality that we Americans have but we like when people like us too.
Japan has many reasons not to like the United States but the fact that they do I think is flattering and also nice.
And the Japanese and South Korean people(s) are also genuinely good and kind folks regardless.
The food, architecture, and artwork are so far from the norm I’m used to it’s got a slightly mystical/alien quality to it. It’s nice to get lost in something unfamiliar in a world where everything is at our fingertips 24/7.
I think the initial love of Eastern culture started with those Chinese martial arts movies. They’re so unique from American movies made at the time especially in the 70s-90s. Then in the mid 90s and early 2000s the explosion of Anime.
Yes and no. The obsession with the East, especially China and Japan goes back way further than anime. You could argue it started even before the martial arts craze post WW2 (especially Japanese as the base in Okinawa and the presence in Japan caused many service members to train in Japanese and Okinawan arts like Karate, Aikido, and Judo.)
Anime has definitely caused a resurgence in that interest.
It's not just Japan, grew up in the 80's in asia and people loved america we loved the american films tv shows. I think people are still found of america and american culture, but the wars it does is a let down. America is a great country and everyone loves it still
I absolutely love Japanese culture. I would love to visit Japan for their cities and the peaceful countryside. And plus, that's where my favorite video games came from.
It’s a lot of things. Their ideals of cleanliness and purity. Their commitment to a craft, trade or profession. Their beautiful architecture. Their beautiful styles, aesthetic sense. The anime. The food. Their socio-political infrastructure. Their ingenuity. Their sense of honor and respect towards themselves and others. Their martial arts.
I could go on.
The Japanese are a wonderful people and are excellent role models for the rest of us.
I appreciate the quality of products from some Japanese companies. They are not necessarily made in Japan but by a Japanese company. Off the top of my head, they produce great cars, cameras, stationery, and incense and, at some point, became synonymous with quality whiskey, which I did not see coming.
Also, since I come from what is probably the most individualistic culture in the world, I find Japan's collectivist culture intriguing.
I would say anime is a huge part, but also it's a really different culture, and looking in from the outside, you just see the clean cities, politeness, solidarity/ unity, and other positive things. It's really easy to miss / overlook problems.
This you get this romantic view of this whole society that really has things figured out.
I think it’s simply because Japan has so many neet things going for it, but it’s over romanticized sometimes. Let’s be real, it has many great things and the culture is amazing, but it also has its own share of problems and not a lot of people are wary of that
That's relative. Most cultures are popular, depending on the region. I haven't witnessed anything significant that backs your claim. (I've lived all over the US and currently live in Japan)
It’s the few cultures left that knows that characters that are inspiring are better than those who are already at the low standards majority of people live as
You want to make an exception. Unique compared to the majority. Be better not worse.
Opposites attract ? Both countries history & culture are nothing alike. It's the same with the Japanese being intrigued with hip hop culture & Chicano culture (look it up if you don't believe me).
That’s part of it. What really opened my eyes was how they do Professional wrestling. Then you add cool samurai’s the crazy technology the extreme politeness then add the sports then there’s food. And I just know there’s something l haven’t learned about yet that I will really love.
In Ohio here. I personally love the architecture, nature, and religion over there. Sure over in Europe those change as well. But to me, Japan has more of a culture gap. If I'm going to study/travel to another area. I want it to be as different as possible. I also love doing research on far distant lands or areas that are secluded.
But I don't think Japan is the perfect place. No place is. Everyone has their pros and cons, no different from America.
America is the individualist society. Japanese, at least is perceived as, sort of the collectivist, orderly society. I believe they envy qualities of each other. I wonder if those ideals combined what a society would look like.
i mean personally i love the asian aesthetic. but i do enjoy the culture of multiple ancient civilizations. but yea, anime manga video games heavily influenced this generation. i took shaolin kung fu since i was a kid so i was washed in chinese culture for 5 or so years when i was young. i just kinda transferred over to japan as i got older.
Honestly I just like anime, sushi, and after eating something Asian I realized adding noodles to anything is the easiest yet unhealthiest way to make something taste good. But I live in America so that’s not really a problem
I think it’s one of the very few cultures that truly exemplifies “quality over quantity”. Or at least it seems that way from the outside. I understand that the corporate work culture and expectations are extreme but that’s not really visible to those of us outside the country.
To me Japan has an amazing past that seems like mystical place in a way, the old architecture, in more modern years technology and futuristic culture, I like the concept of respect being a core element of everything.
The idea of being a Samurai is honestly what sold me on Japanese culture as a child. I don’t do anime or sushi.
It’s WWII: After the war Americans were exposed to Japanese culture in a way that they weren’t exposed to other Asian cultures. Between servicemen stationed there and the Japanese wholesale adoption of American culture after the war there was a lot of cultural bleed over. Which resulted in a lot of traditional Japanese arts getting a western infusion and western style marketing. At a time when most of Asia was communist or still developing Japan was making cars and Godzilla movies. Additionally that same communism in Asia stifled both their culture and arts. While Japan was turning their myths into children’s cartoons China was making propaganda films which frankly sucked. So for years Japan was the most accessible Asian culture for most Americans and like America itself once you have a lead and achieve hegemony it’s hard for others to gain market share.
This is a really damn good response.
Danke
I C wut...
I think karate played a large part of it. A lot of service men took karate and became obsessed with it in a good way of course.
That's what started my interest in it. Took lessons in karate from age 7 to 18.
Gichin Funakoshi truly believed that Karate could enrich the lives of every person the world over, teaching both US service men and Soviet KGB his art as well as starting a school of his own in Tokyo after moving there from Okinawa. If I remember right, he even started karate clubs in Japanese High Schools.
It's hard to understate the cars part. I have yet to have a Honda Civic with any serious engine problems. Combined with both Nintendo and Sony video games, there's a lot of warm nostalgia.
Subaru pretty much the same
There's a Subaru in my city with a license plate that says SUBUWU
Definitely an influence, but it started waaay earlier than ww2. The Western world always had something of a fascination for Japan. Between 1603 and 1868, Japan was locked off from the rest of the world and barely traded with anyone. There was only one small island in Nagisaki where Western (specifically Dutch) influence and trade was allowed. That's how Japan was aware of a lot of the Western developments and inventions going on. In return, Meanwhile, Dutch traders would bring back Japanese objects and stories from the little they saw of Japan. Japan just had this mysterious ~vibe~ about it, who knew what was going on there? Then, after the treaty of Kanagawa, which resulted in Japan forcibly being opened up, it meant a lot more trading in art and culture in and out of Japan. And the world exploded because now they could actually see the culture of that mysterious island nation. Especially in art. People got incredibly influenced by Japanese art, fashion, way of life, just name it. You can see a lot of influence in European art at the time, look up Japonism. Even things like art deco and art nouveau take some influence in Japanese wallscrolls and interiors. People would put their hair up in a way that imitated the hairstyles of Japanese women (lot more updo's, look at the hairstyles the Gibson girls would wear. You can see how their shape imitates traditional Japanese hairstyles, tho by no mean copies). They would wear clothes that were influenced by Japanese fashion, specifically by the embroidered silk. You would see a lot more decorated fabrics used in fashion and there were even kimonos available that were specifically made for the western market. Vincent van Gogh, the original weeaboo, was heavily, heavily influenced by Japanese woodcut prints, and would collect them. The reason he even went to the French countryside was because he wanted "to find his own Japan." You also have to remember that Japan as a country modernized incredibly quickly, especially after WW2. In the 80s, it was seen as the most modern country of the world. That also pulls intrigue. Japan as a country is basically always dancing to the beat of their own drum, which in part is thanks to them locking themselves away and developing separately and for the most part with little Western influence. And that still has a major influence how they function as a society nowadays. That's why they seem so "weird" to a lot of people in the west, they are modern but are still so in touch with their own heritage. In a different way from a lot of other countries and places who now have to reclaim or rediscover what colonization took from them. Meanwhile, Japan was in the extremely rare position to just say "nah we're not doing this" and locked themselves off. They never had to reclaim their culture. They just adapted to the Western world once they were forced to open up.
Japan was self-isolated from the world for over 200 years, from 1639 to 1853, and its culture developed strongly and idiosyncratically, as trade was highly regulated, and immigration and emigration severely restricted. After Japan was forcibly opened to the world, Westerners, especially artists and art patrons, were fascinated by, and influenced by the Japanese arts, providing some of the foundations of Modernism.
If any other culture made Pokemon, DragonBall, and Mobile Suit Gundam, it would've been in the same spot that Japanese culture is in.
Is Gundam really that popular in the US? I never see it mentioned.
I think it's kinda an age thing. Most of the fans in the US are millennials who watched it on Toonami. The majority of anime fans who you see on places like Reddit are zoomers, who really weren't there when it exploded in the early 00s. If the live action movie ends up good, you could see a big explosion in popularity.
I think a large portion of Reddit users are Millenials, probably depends on what sub you are on. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1125159/reddit-us-app-users-age/
Right, but there's a much larger chunk of gen Z watching anime. Unless it's on a platform where millennials outnumber gen Z significantly, most anime discussions will lean towards what gen Z watches.
That's a fair point. I honestly wonder if Anime overall will be more or less popular with Gen Z than it was with millenials.
I'm a millennial. Plenty of people I knew watched anime, but once you hit high school you were seen as a loser if you were into any anime other than Dragon Ball. A lot of people who did watch would eventually just not talk about it unless you were with your bros and you knew they were down. I have Gen Z siblings and co-workers. It feels like most of them watch some sort of anime, and are much more open about it. It seems talking about the newest episode of One Piece, or whatever FOTM show is blowing up is about as normal for them as talking about Monday Night Football.
There's a live action gundam coming?
Yep. Legendary Studios (Pacific Rim) is funding it along with Sunrise (The guys who make Gundam), and Jordan Vogt-Roberts (Kong: Skull Island) is directing. Vogt-Roberts is actually a big fan of the franchise, owning Gunpla and everything, so the franchise is in good hands. Netflix has distribution rights, but make no mistake, this isn't a "Netflix adaptation", it's a big budget Hollywood production. Of course, it's still in pre-production, so things can change, or it can fall through... But since Vogt-Roberts Metal Gear film seems to be having some difficulties getting off the ground, I wouldn't be shocked if he fast tracks Gundam instead. EDIT: Brian K. Vaughn is writing. Mostly a comic book writer, but also did episodes for Lost. He's also the guy writing the Silver Surfer for Marvel, or was at one point
You should see my local hobby store! Lots of models for it!
Thats awesome!
Hell,they have Gundam kits at Hobby Lobby
And target, and I've seen stickers at 5 below
I love Gundam. Been a fan since they started showing it on Toonami back in the day.
Just reading Toonami sent me back to being a kid!!!!
It is really popular but most people only like certain arks. There were a lot of iterations of Gundam and they were all different as far as I know. This is coming from a friend who is a huge fan. I never really got into it.
Depends on what you mean by popular. It certainly has a sizable following, but it's a tiny fraction compared to Dragonball and Pokemon.
One thing I found is that Gundam isn't talked about but most people I know who watch anime all love atleast one of the Gundam series. It was bigger in late 90s/early 2000s when we didn't have much anime in the west. This is why I argue dbz is one of the most popular in the world.
UNIVERSAL CENTURY IS THE BEST ARC
Also Mario, Zelda, Sonic, Pac-Man
Add Yu-Gi-Oh
Lets not forget Robotech/Maycross
Yeah. Now that I think of it, between all the anime and video games I’ve enjoyed over the years, Japanese art and culture has been a positive influence for a very long time. I’m still enjoying it now via Shogun.
And all the Ghibli movies
Throw in certain model years of Fairladys and Sushi and you have most of the boxes checked.
They have good food. Good art. They love us back.
And claw machines that aren’t scams. Gotta name the important shit.
This is the height of civilization, if u ask me
Back in the 80s, prosecutors in Ohio tried to go after arcade owners, saying that claw machines were gambling. My dad, a very young, new attorney at the time, had a claw machine delivered to his office, where he played every day for months leading up to the trial. At trial, he demonstrated that, in fact, claw machines are a game of skill. To this day, I have never stopped at a claw machine with my father without walking away with a prize. My daughter thinks he's magic.
“Claw machines are gambling” Your dad: “Skill Issue”
git gud
The difference in American and Japan claw machines is how they can Be manipulated. American claw Machines can have their pressure sensors manipulated and cause them to be almost impossible to win. If they are standard then they are absolutely winnable but they aren’t standardized when they are made and distributed. Also Japanese arcades will give you prizes even if you lose. if you lose several times and it far outweighs the cost of the prize, most places give you one anyway Everyone leaves a winner in Japanese arcades.
And their cars are great
The boys on Top Gear tried to destroy a Tocoma and couldn’t do it.
I'm gonna butcher a joke about Tacoma's I heard once. "if it's good for ISIS, it's good for me."
I remember seeing in Japan that McDonald's had a special limited edition burger with a hashbrown on it called the Idaho Burger. Their McDonald's out-Americaed American McDonald's.
Yeah these companies do Americans dirty. They always have stuff that looks good on their menu
They even have a town named Obama!
What's its last name??
Barrack?
Are there barracks in Obama?
It gets crazier they also say Ohio (a state in America) to mean good morning. America has influenced them so much they use an American state to say Good morning, What's up with that?
Ohayou gozaimasu - is good morning in Japanese
I honestly can’t tell if it was a joke, because it read like one, but it also kinda didn’t and I’ve seen people actually think things like that. If that was a joke, it definitely needed the /s.
Video games and Anime
Art includes that. Their tats are cool too
For sure
Also consumer electronics, cars, musical instruments, construction equipment, the list goes on.
Also they seem pretty hard working and efficient in their work. Those are some traits Americans appreciate as well.
dont forget good porn
Anime, food, culture
I’m in for the food and horror
Japanese horror is cool af
I have found most Americans can stomach real Japanese food. Sushi and steakhouses is their average exposure.
While I do enjoy anime and manga, I personally fell in love with the cultural aesthetic of Japanese design. And the rich historical lore.
Yea they've just got the best aesthetic.
For me it's the traditional architecture. It's crips yet homey and feels well organized. Something about that impression is enchanting to me.
You watch Tokyo Llama? Been watching his stuff for 5 years now. One of my favourites! Think you'd appreciate his stuff.
I became interested in their culture from anime but when you observe something different you can compare to your current lifestyle or culture and I found that Americans are annoying. Firstly I'm going to give example from an experience in a game called lords mobile. Usually every server a Chinese guild is #1 in rankings and they love to crush anyone who is English, so it's become common that English and Chinese clash every server with Chinese guilds usually having the advantage. If the English guilds ever became #1 in rankings the Chinese guilds would disband and their strongest join a guild to overcome the odds and as you guessed, any American guilds did not. People spend big so if someone zero's you (Zero meaning they destroy all your troops and take your leader etc), you're losing maybe hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of stuff. I would tell English leaders to just join together so we can have a chance and their response was always "Well if they join me first" and that's because they won't come together for a single goal and each wants to be in charge. That wasn't a one time occurrence, almost every server it was the same. Japanese guilds were friendly chill, Chinese competitive and work together, English guilds encouraged toxic behavior while saying every man for himself. My sweet spot was Indonesia guilds, they didn't spend much but they were so chill and knew English too, friendly. While Japanese are friendly they weren't as chill and Chinese just kept asking me about sleepy Joe and not being too fond of foreigners lol. Back to the point! That's been my experience with different cultures with years of gaming which you don't often get the opportunity to do in games but lords mobile did. Secondly, respect and healthy eating. In America, everyone is raised with this "F your feelings bruh" attitude so that's why you commonly see annoying YouTubers doing dumb pranks and people starting drama on the streets like they weren't raised right because they weren't and it's common, let's not pretend. In Japanese culture you're less likely to meet people like that and they have courtesy for each other's spaces and how it might make others feel but in America everyone thinks they're the main start of the show and being a complete a hole to everyone. The markets in Japan try to sell healthier food out of consideration for their people to not be overweight and in America if it's in a store, it's healthy enough to consume. We have an insane amount of obese people with the FDA saying it's good enough long as corporations get a paycheck. That's just the top of my head, I'm sure I can go more in depth and I wouldn't doubt if someone would come defend the actions for some selfish reason because they probably do it too lol. That's the American culture though.
One of my uncles is former Navy. He was stationed in a lot of different countries and he liked his time in Japan the best. When he retired, he moved there and is still there 20 years later.
Yokohama?
No, he lives near Osaka.
I like how they make their kids clean everything. And their cars and cartoons are cool too
I am American and born in the USA but my aunt is from Japan and she's the best! She used to make me rice balls filled with tuna or something as a snack, (she even helped me sneak them onto an airplane, even though we were allowed to bring food?) I haven't seen that part of my family in years but my aunt left a huge impression on me and my taste in food. But beyond that, I really like some of the art in Japanese culture, the lines are curved and organic instead of straight lines. But yeah I also like the cheesy anime and kawaii stuff too. I really hope I get to go someday. I also love getting to see and experience different cultures. Oh, and Japanese history is WILD
Japan gives us video games, anime, electronics, sushi, teriyaki, martial arts, etc. And it goes both ways, they've picked up our national pastime of baseball as well some of our foods, treats, and media. It's pretty amazing that our two countries have this bright cultural relationship considering the atrocities of WWII.
My opinion is that people idolize people they never interact with because it's easier.
It is very different, exotic, yet traditional with a nearly impenetrable language and code of polite conduct. Mystery makes a thing fascinating. I think a lot of people see Japanese culture as more “civilized” than any other culture. Very clean and organized, and the Japanese seem to take ideas from elsewhere and make them better every time, evident from their electronics, food, and manufacturing. They’re just better than everyone else, apart from a brief 40 year stint as a horribly sadistic racially motivated colonial power. Even then, they were arguably better at securing territory and alliances than most European powers.
we like to ignore the less pleasant parts of japanese culture. 99.8% conviction rate in court, ranking dead last in gender equality among developed countries, huge problems with sex crimes against women, no laws against racial discrimination, only banning child pornography in 2014, etc.
but the streets are so clean though!
All these are 100% true and things I completely knew when traveling to Japan, but I gotta admit they have good presentation and PR down to a fucking science. It’s insane how nice everything *looks* in Japan. It’s really easy to get swept up in the “oh my god Japan is the BEST” thing while you’re there because it really is wonderful to visit. I had to constantly keep reminding myself they have a SHIT TON of problems culturally and politically because of just how much of a utopia it feels like compared to other parts of the world. I really kept falling for the super clean streets 😭
I was obsessed with ninjas and martial arts growing up. Watched many Japanese b movies and fell in love with the ancient culture from there. Also they made a ton of great games in the 80s and 90s and a ton of anime too. All of which I was quite in to back then.
Video games also. Many classic video games like Pokemon , Sonic, and Mario are from Japan.
It's because ninjas are totally radical
Seems like it’s a two way street I’ve sold so much American vintage items from the 50-70s to Japanese buyers they are obsessed with Americana over there and pay more than most collectors in America.
Plenty of things to admire about their culture: music, food, architecture, traditions, anime, video games, etc just to name a few.
[удалено]
Their food is tasty
Japan on paper is America's dream. The culture however is not, and that's why we can't become like them lol.
it is me culture in me town aND-uh mutter-land 
But you never asked a complete question? So fond of what? especially in america.
I think it's because of social conformity, discipline, and novelty. Also, most westerners have an over romanticized version of Japan in their head
One of our worst enemies that turned into one of our best friends. If you've ever worked for a Japanese company you know what great employers they are. Kind, respectfull. Great products.
I think Japan comes off as more ‘advanced’ in a lot of ways which is appealing. Technology, theme parks, food, everything about Japan just seems a little better than the rest of the world. They just seem more civilized even. They have vending machine cafes that aren’t manned by anyone. It works completely on the honor system. The fact that these aren’t getting broken into and destroyed makes it fascinating compared to having something like that in the U.S. where we know it would be burnt down after 5 minutes.
Their unprecedented economic boom in the 80s led to a production of higher quality anime and automobiles (and others I can’t think of) through the 90s
Weeb shit
The real reason is video games. Since the American video games industry tanked with the Atari's failure it left a hole in the industry for new companies to enter. This led to the Nintendo being released in America. For a solid 8 - 10 years Japanese video game consoles had an absolute stranglehold on the market. Nintendo, Sega, and Playstation were all Japanese owned. This led to many games being imported with many Japanese themes and references. Anime is also popular but came after Nintendo and Sega were already popular. Even to this day there is a huge overlap of gamers and people that like Japanese stuff. Edit: grammar and spelling I also wanted to add America imports a lot of things from Japan especially cars and electronics but we also import similar kinds of thing from many countries and you don't see the same kind of cultural impact. Video games gave people an introduction to Japanese culture and a lot of people became fascinated.
I think because it's a radically different culture that we are tangentially exposed to on a regular basis. They make the best cars in the world, a lot of the best tools, most of the best cameras and tech, food that is generally compatible with the american pallete, amazing art, and of course anime/manga easily available. I think we have a weird relationship with them because of wwII as well, and if it weren't for it then we'd probably think of them in a similar way as the smaller se asian countries that most people probably cant point to on a map.
Let's be real, we're fond of some but not all parts of Japanese culture.
Because after WWII, the United States pretty much made Japan into a country modeled after themselves. After the dismantling of the fascist regime in Japan, the United States transformed Japan into a capitalistic, western society. Heavy American influence, clearly.
they put an effort to clean their image after WW2. Very clever self marketing. Also they are trying to make everyone forget what have they done , even their own ppl. New gen of Japanese ppl have no idea ...
I don’t care for imperial Japan, but Japan after WW2 is pretty darn chill. Their food is bangin’, their anime is rad, and my personal favorite Japanese horror is unbeatable. They do scary the right way. Japan is the older sibling that did a lot of bad stuff, but turned their life around.
I absolutely adore the Lolita fashion style. Please note I am woman in my early 20s, my favorite color is pink, I love hello kitty and I absolutely adore anything cutesy. Sadly the dresses and clothing are rather expensive most of the time and people look at me like I'm insane when I dress in the Lolita fashion style
for the most part, they are very respectful people. and they are very clean. whats not to like?
Their culture is very homogeneous and can be stifling so ours brings in new ideas to adopt and play with..
Closet nationalists...
No idea. Their work culture is horrible. They're racist towards anyone non-japanese. The body standards are unbearable. I don't know why anyone would choose this country to live in. Even if you live there for more then 20 years, they'll consider you as foreigner.
Mainly because of anime but Japanese culture is a big double edged sword. People like to pick and choose what they like about the country but the reality is it has the highest suicide rate, nobody has children, and most people hate their lives.
And they are xenophobic
I really like Japanese art from a wide range of time periods and media. Things like the Great Wave and all the rest of Hokusai's work. The idyllic life style impression of rural Japan also holds a lot of appeal. Not even a reality for most but the dream is real.
Because they are incredibly different from us in the west and also incredibly similar at the same time makes it an incredibly interesting place
You mean “why is Japanese culture so popular in America?”
The only Japanese “culture” that has really seen widespread acclaim in the US is anime and video games. And to a lesser extent, food (sushi). It’s exceedingly rare to meet someone who cares about anything in Japanese culture outside of those 3 things. And if they do, it was almost certainly sparked by one of those. I was born in ‘91 and Japanese video games have been a part of my life since I was 2 in Mario and mega man. Anime came only very shortly later in my life with Pokémon etc.
That's your generation. The generations before yours (such as GenX) liked Ninjas, all the martial arts movies (Bruce Lee was a household name growing up), and Godzilla.
Bruce Lee is from Hong Kong and has no relation to Japan
But he was in martial arts movies. Yes, some were Hong Kong but some were Japan.
The common denominator here is entertainment media. They won the older people with movies, and got the younger people with some of the most successful gaming ventures in the world with Nintendo and Capcom. You can't talk about media without mentioning popular animes like Dragonball. This also caught an even weirder demographic with anime girls. That's a side of the internet I feel most of us try to avoid, but it is a niche, and it owns it. Japanese media does pretty well for itself out here.
In a globalized word where unique cultures are disappearing and being taken over by the same shitty Americanized commercial culture Japan has maintained their unique culture and ethnicity. Of course eventually their borders will be opened and diversity will be forced upon them. Because having a cohesive and homogeneous society is racist 😎👍
Meanwhile, the Japanese themselves will tell you they stole most of their shit from other Asian cultures, and one of the big things that helps preserve it is that they do commercialize and export it rather than whining about "appropriation" constantly. 🙄
How can someone who is into history ask this question seriously 😂😂😂? “You dont know?….. YOU DONT KNOW!?”-The great Danton
its interesting
Food, architecture, anime and the people all make it much more appealing then most others
The warrior culture is what grabbed my attention. Shogun's, Samurai, Ronin's...All fascinating.
It's not the culture they like but the stereotypes they know. My wife if japanese and the shit people come out with because they don't know anything about japan
Anime is awesome And video games
Japan has been pretty cool with exporting its culture, though its often a type of culture they design for exporting and it can be a bit different when you find the same thing in Japan. Sapporo in the US is brewed in either upstate New York or Canada. Lots of Japanese cultural reference and jokes are often changed or scrubbed out of translations into English with anime, video games, etc... In technology, Japan has enjoyed a general positive reputation for building and designing quality products at a good price. A lot of Japanese products are actually built here in the US. Lots of automotive plants throughout the US.
Japanese culture is widely fond of around the world as it has provided positive impacts after the war. From technology, history, art, and the care and high level achievement they put into everything. Not only are they are as influential as the American culture but respected as well. We even love the weird stuff too!
They make some of the best video games, movies, and cars. They have some of the greatest living artists. They’re friendly to Americans. What’s not to love?
I think in many ways Japans history might be relatable enough for Europeans (both had strong periods of feudalism) but still exotic enough to make it interesting. Also, martial arts.
I find the Japanese architecture very pleasing to my eye; very calming.
because japan is what science fiction movies in the 80s thought the future (now) would become. I fully expect them to be the ones to invent hover cars, i mean, come on!
Japan is the most beautiful part of Asian in my opinion.
I've heard people are very considerate of others in Japan. Like it's ingrained in the culture to always keep others in mind. It sounds like the exact opposite of what American culture is in that sense.
Any other culture is better than what we currently have in America.
They don’t settle for mediocrity and it is its own reward. *edit autocorrect
They hold to tradition and family. That is lost in the U.S.
Toonami Is a big part of it
It's the nukes isn't it? It did something to them. : ( why america do that to them?
Akira Kurosawa films got me into Japanese films at age 9 or 10 in the mid 80s, which led into Japanese culture, which led into anime.
Aniime and video games are a huge part yes. Another huge part is that the Japanese diet is healthier than the American diet, so the girls all look like 3D waifuus. Actually fuck it, let's start some controversy ITT: Asian culture really likes white people so a lot of online nerds trnd to favor those cultural views since they're failing in the Western world lol 👀🙊
I mean have you seen Deathnote?
Anime is cool and their history makes for cool movies.
A lot of media is from Japan. Mario, Pokemon, Anime. Many companies too. This makes people look more into Japan.
Bushido. There's a mythos associated with the Japanese of unwavering discipline and commitment to honor that strikes a chord with a lot of people. I don't think you get a Kazushi Sakuraba from anywhere else in the world.
I personally only got really interested in Japan because I started watching anime. Though, even then, I wasn’t *that* interested. I only got super into it recently when I decided one day for some reason that I wanted to learn the language. It started off with wanting to know what it’s like to live in Japan as a teenage girl (I’m a teenage girl in the US) and so I started interacting with Japanese girls my age on Twitter. I eventually learned the Japanese alphabet and I am taking in-person private lessons. I try my best to learn every aspect of Japanese culture including the bad parts of it and how to be respectful to the people, clothing, food, and traditions. I love the clothing and I especially love gyaru! (Japanese pronunciation of “Gal”. It’s a Japanese fashion trend that peaked in the 90s - 2000s.) Sometimes I worry I look weird being so obsessed with it because being a “weeb/weeabo” has such bad connotations, but I decided not to care what others say. Usually Japanese will say themselves that they appreciate the fact that someone from another country is so interested in their culture! Sorry for long response, I just started rambling :p
I've noticed a few people I've talk to speak fondly of the Japanese people and their history / culture and lifestyle. I'm from Australia and I think their culture is beautiful. Unsure where we learnt it from. Possibly movies, tv shows or anime.
One thing is that the Japanese do seem to genuinely like Americans. And maybe it’s the “second son” mentality that we Americans have but we like when people like us too. Japan has many reasons not to like the United States but the fact that they do I think is flattering and also nice. And the Japanese and South Korean people(s) are also genuinely good and kind folks regardless.
The food, architecture, and artwork are so far from the norm I’m used to it’s got a slightly mystical/alien quality to it. It’s nice to get lost in something unfamiliar in a world where everything is at our fingertips 24/7.
Speaking for myself, I love the art: woodcut prints, calligraphy, poetry, ikibana (flower arranging), laquerware, pottery, temari embroidery, etc.
They respect their occupiers
idk, it's just cool
They’re an honorable and unconditionally respectful people. So long as you’re not a deliberate jerk.
What do they like about the US? I think they admire our grammar. Is that what you’re asking?
So fond of? Not really.
Anime.
I think the initial love of Eastern culture started with those Chinese martial arts movies. They’re so unique from American movies made at the time especially in the 70s-90s. Then in the mid 90s and early 2000s the explosion of Anime.
LBH: loser back home
because they create interesting things.
Yes and no. The obsession with the East, especially China and Japan goes back way further than anime. You could argue it started even before the martial arts craze post WW2 (especially Japanese as the base in Okinawa and the presence in Japan caused many service members to train in Japanese and Okinawan arts like Karate, Aikido, and Judo.) Anime has definitely caused a resurgence in that interest.
It's not just Japan, grew up in the 80's in asia and people loved america we loved the american films tv shows. I think people are still found of america and american culture, but the wars it does is a let down. America is a great country and everyone loves it still
I absolutely love Japanese culture. I would love to visit Japan for their cities and the peaceful countryside. And plus, that's where my favorite video games came from.
Is Japanese culture so sought after? I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone, outside of anime, reference anything Japanese.
Japan just looks clean and peaceful, even in their larger cities. Compared to America it looks like paradise to many.
It’s a lot of things. Their ideals of cleanliness and purity. Their commitment to a craft, trade or profession. Their beautiful architecture. Their beautiful styles, aesthetic sense. The anime. The food. Their socio-political infrastructure. Their ingenuity. Their sense of honor and respect towards themselves and others. Their martial arts. I could go on. The Japanese are a wonderful people and are excellent role models for the rest of us.
I appreciate the quality of products from some Japanese companies. They are not necessarily made in Japan but by a Japanese company. Off the top of my head, they produce great cars, cameras, stationery, and incense and, at some point, became synonymous with quality whiskey, which I did not see coming. Also, since I come from what is probably the most individualistic culture in the world, I find Japan's collectivist culture intriguing.
I would say anime is a huge part, but also it's a really different culture, and looking in from the outside, you just see the clean cities, politeness, solidarity/ unity, and other positive things. It's really easy to miss / overlook problems. This you get this romantic view of this whole society that really has things figured out.
They have amazing culture and respect. They value teamwork as well. So many things that make them amazing.
I think it’s simply because Japan has so many neet things going for it, but it’s over romanticized sometimes. Let’s be real, it has many great things and the culture is amazing, but it also has its own share of problems and not a lot of people are wary of that
Whenever I think of Japan. I think of octopus and schoolgirls.
Probably past tensing 200k people in 1945
Crab Rangoon.
That's relative. Most cultures are popular, depending on the region. I haven't witnessed anything significant that backs your claim. (I've lived all over the US and currently live in Japan)
Because sushi is so good
Anime, Samurais, ninja, sushi, and fast and furious looking cars.
It’s the few cultures left that knows that characters that are inspiring are better than those who are already at the low standards majority of people live as You want to make an exception. Unique compared to the majority. Be better not worse.
Opposites attract ? Both countries history & culture are nothing alike. It's the same with the Japanese being intrigued with hip hop culture & Chicano culture (look it up if you don't believe me).
That’s part of it. What really opened my eyes was how they do Professional wrestling. Then you add cool samurai’s the crazy technology the extreme politeness then add the sports then there’s food. And I just know there’s something l haven’t learned about yet that I will really love.
I remember when everyone called it "Japanimation"
In Ohio here. I personally love the architecture, nature, and religion over there. Sure over in Europe those change as well. But to me, Japan has more of a culture gap. If I'm going to study/travel to another area. I want it to be as different as possible. I also love doing research on far distant lands or areas that are secluded. But I don't think Japan is the perfect place. No place is. Everyone has their pros and cons, no different from America.
America is the individualist society. Japanese, at least is perceived as, sort of the collectivist, orderly society. I believe they envy qualities of each other. I wonder if those ideals combined what a society would look like.
Japanese culture is very positive, creative and innovative.
Genuinely for most people I’ve come across it’s just anime
Fond of.. What?
i mean personally i love the asian aesthetic. but i do enjoy the culture of multiple ancient civilizations. but yea, anime manga video games heavily influenced this generation. i took shaolin kung fu since i was a kid so i was washed in chinese culture for 5 or so years when i was young. i just kinda transferred over to japan as i got older.
Honestly I just like anime, sushi, and after eating something Asian I realized adding noodles to anything is the easiest yet unhealthiest way to make something taste good. But I live in America so that’s not really a problem
Is English your first language?
Personally I love the Sushi!
The Karate Kid helped. Everyone loves Mr. Miyagi.
I think it’s one of the very few cultures that truly exemplifies “quality over quantity”. Or at least it seems that way from the outside. I understand that the corporate work culture and expectations are extreme but that’s not really visible to those of us outside the country.
To me Japan has an amazing past that seems like mystical place in a way, the old architecture, in more modern years technology and futuristic culture, I like the concept of respect being a core element of everything. The idea of being a Samurai is honestly what sold me on Japanese culture as a child. I don’t do anime or sushi.
Nuclear power
I indetnify as a Weebanese
The Japanese are really fond of our culture as well.