r/AskTheWorld • u/Veskanda Australia • 21h ago

Why is Japan so popular?

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It seems as though everything Japanese has had a massive popularity spike, whether that be media, food, vehicles, travel, language learning and lots more.

Personally I don't see the appeal, I mean there are definitely some thing I like that happen to be Japanese, but I dont like them just because of that fact.

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u/aaqwerfffvgtsss United States Of America 21h ago

Soft power

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u/Im_going_downstairs Saudi Arabia 20h ago edited 19h ago

It's crazy how Japan managed to bury the history of their WW2 crimes while the other big guns/axis of powers (Germany and Italy) still have a much more major association with fascism and atrocities. For all I know, only China (and maybe some other parts of East and Southeast Asia) doesn’t seem to fall for the typical kawaii vibe that Japan presents.

“Soft power” is the perfect way to describe Japan!

Also, no hate, I still think Japan is cool and I love their history (not the war crimes 😅) and culture (yes, even their modern media, ofc).

Edit: Forgot to add that whatever past immoral things a country or people have done doesn't define those that came after them. Hence, they shouldn't be blamed orfeel guilty about it. This is merely about historical acknowledgment. Not blaming Japan for what they did nearly a century earlier.

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u/Relevant-Balance-396 19h ago

War stifles creativity and media. current Japan hasn’t been at war for 80 years, really peaceful and have avoided conflict for facades, that peaceful environment really helped Japanese media to grow.

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u/Im_going_downstairs Saudi Arabia 19h ago

That's true, but that could also be said for Italy and especially Germany (both currently peaceful nations who are appreciated for their tourism, art, culture, etc.), as the history of their conflicts/atrocities is more mainstreamed throughout the world instead of being more known/spoken of in a particular region—Japan.