American influence?

[Bentley]

If I went over to Japan what influences of American culture would I see if any?

[Elgin]

Mc Donalds or KFC

[Mandylion]

Hip Hop and street fashion
Junk food (Luc covered that)

[Maciamo]

Finance & IT
Citibank, Visa & Master Card, JP Morgan, Merryll Lynch, IBM, Intel, Microsoft...

Food
In addition to McDonald and KFC, Mister Donuts, Denny's, Jonathan's...
Coca cola, Fanta, Kellogs, Mars...

Clothes & fashion
Gap, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfinger, Paul Stuart...

Press
Newsweek, Time, Playboy, Cosmopolitan...

Movies
80% of what is showing

Basically, the best the US has to export and you'l find almost anywhere in the world (except Mister Donuts, Denny's and Jonathan's...)

[Bentley]

Thanks for responding, I'm in the process of thinking of a topic that I can do for a presentation, (that deals with something current in Japan). I'd like it to be at least moderatley interesting. I read through this board and the censorship of porn seems interesting but I doubt I could get that past my professor. :emblaugh: If anyone has an idea of a topic that would be more interesting than the impact of American culture on Japan, your idea would be appreciated.

[Golgo_13]

Just spend a day watching TV in Japan, and note which commercials are for American/Foreign products and businesses.

There are TONS!

[playaa]

So in Japan the movie world, is basically the same as over in the states? Thats always been a thought I wanted to ask. Is there a Hollywood equivilant in Japan?

[mad pierrot]

Tokyo Hollywood? Not that I've ever heard of.
Funny, this thread brought another question I had to mind.

In some martial arts, such as Aikido, it seems to me that gaikokujin have more interest than Japanese. Most of the students at my 13 schools are much more into baseball and soccer. (With the exception of Kendo.)

I was thinking about this because I know some people at a major Aikido dojo in Shingu. Recently the old Japanese master died, and now it looks like most of the high ranking people left aren't Japanese.

Thoughts or comments?

[Maciamo]

In some martial arts, such as Aikido, it seems to me that gaikokujin have more interest than Japanese. Most of the students at my 13 schools are much more into baseball and soccer. (With the exception of Kendo.)

I had the same impression for judo and karate. While these 2 sports are very common in many European countries (I have personally practised both and so have my sister and several of my friends). There are lessons in almost every fitness club, while in Tokyo it's almost difficult to find one that does, and after asking more than 50 people, just 1 has actually done judo. Usually, when I ask a Japanese if they have ever done some judo or karate, they burst out laughing. :? They are both among the most popular sports in Europe after football (=soccer), swimming and tennis. Kendo however seems a tiny bit more popular in Japan (and is very rare in Europe).

[Golgo_13]

In some martial arts, such as Aikido, it seems to me that gaikokujin have more interest than Japanese. Most of the students at my 13 schools are much more into baseball and soccer. (With the exception of Kendo.)

I was thinking about this because I know some people at a major Aikido dojo in Shingu. Recently the old Japanese master died, and now it looks like most of the high ranking people left aren't Japanese.

Thoughts or comments?

My thoughts exactly. Kids in Japan are getting soft from all the TV and video games.

Very few kids are competing in Sumo, so the stablemasters have to go overseas to find enough recruits to keep their stables afloat.

However, martial arts (e.g., K-1, PRIDE, Shooto) remain a popular spectator sport.

[Maciamo]

Very few kids are competing in Sumo, so the stablemasters have to go overseas to find enough recruits to keep their stables afloat.


Well, Sumo is not really the kind of sport anybody can do during their freetime or just try to see if they like it. :japanese:

[mad pierrot]

Yeah, the best Aikido master I know is from Europe. I think this new influx is actually good. It breathes new life into the arts. It even applies in other aspects of Japanese culture as well, I think. A Soto Zen master once told me if I want to study Zen, I shouldn't go to Japan. He told me to go to France or America.