The US and Japan mutually respect each other’s cultures. Anime and sushi are just two examples of Japanese things that we love in the US, but countless American things are very popular in Japan. We can’t be here all day, so we’ve picked our favorite 17 examples!
Baseball
One of America’s favorite sports has had a roaring success in Japan. It is the most popular sport in the country for both playing and spectating, with crowds at ball games similar to those at a festival. The atmosphere at Japanese baseball is incredible, a once-in-a-lifetime experience you won’t even get in the US.
‘Decoration English’
Japan loves American phrases, but not because of their meanings. Amusingly, the Japanese simply love the look of our language, something that they call ‘decoration English.’ You’ll find an abundance of clothes and gifts littered with American sentences, and whilst they’re always amusing, their translations often don’t make sense.
KFC
American fast food is adored in Japan, but the success of Japanese KFC is bafflingly huge. After the States and China, Japan is the largest market for KFC, and bizarrely, Wired reports that 3.6 million Japanese families enjoy KFC for their Christmas meal!
Jazz
Jazz was first introduced to Japan in 1919, but it wasn’t until the Second World War that this music genre became popular. Over the years, American jazz has received a Japanese spin, and the jazz loved across the country today is not quite authentic but just as cool to listen to!
Columbo
The American crime drama Columbo has an immense fan following in Japan, as it received a Japanese dub in 1972, a year after Columbo was aired in the US. While the series was an international cultural phenomenon, it actually received the best reception in Japan, where it gained rave reviews!
Peanut butter
The American love of peanut butter extends to Japan, but they don’t eat PB&Js. Here, peanut butter is more commonly eaten straight from the jar, which we find pretty strange! It comes with a hefty price tag in Japan, but that doesn’t stop the locals from indulging in it like that.
King of the Hill
Japan loves US television, but King of the Hill is particularly popular. Considered one of the most popular anime enjoyed in the country, King of the Hill has both a subbed and a dubbed version. The sitcom is appreciated by a large percentage of the population, regardless of their level of English.
7-Eleven
With over 22,000 stores, 7-Eleven, a US-born company, is Japan’s most popular convenience store, with Statista estimating that they now have more stores than the US! This represents an estimated 30% of the global market share, while neighbors such as Taiwan and Vietnam also share a similar 7-Eleven obsession.
Halloween
While the history of Halloween originates from the UK and Ireland, it was the US that turned it into a huge holiday. Japan has embraced the American way of celebrating Halloween, except for trick-or-treating. Here, Halloween is seen as a great cosplaying opportunity, and huge energy goes into costumes.
American whiskey
American whiskey has been loved in Japan for hundreds of years. It was originally a popular tipple at weddings, and then in the early 90s, bourbon bars were set up across the country, catered to fans of US culture. Bourbons became wildly popular, and Japan now holds the second-largest market worldwide.
South Park
A US animated comedy with many references to Japanese anime, South Park has provided huge inspiration in Japan. The Japanese dub is the most favored version to watch and is regularly quoted in Japan, much like how Friends and The Office are quoted in the US.
Disney
As you may have already guessed, cartoons are a huge part of Japanese culture, and Disney is no exception. Because of this deep love, an almost 100% replica of Magic Kingdom was built at Tokyo Disney Sea, with Harvard Magazine claiming that it is one of the most popular places for first dates!
American music
There is scarcely a country in the 21st century that doesn’t enjoy American music, but it has a particular chokehold on Japan. The Japanese have a wide range of tastes, loving everything from Taylor Swift and Justin Beiber to Queen and Metallica. Western music always ranks highly on Japanese music charts.
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut was once huge in the US, but the number of restaurants has recently declined. In Japan, however, it feels like you see Pizza Hut on every corner. Japanese Pizza Hut always has unique menu items, including oddities such as Ramen Pizza and the Weiner Coffee Pizza.
Levi’s
Japan is a huge importer of American fashion, but Levi’s jeans are one of the biggest. Loved for the brand’s craftsmanship just as much as the culture, Levi’s has a cult following in this country. Vintage Levi’s are highly sought after and have a huge market for Japanese denim collectors.
Burgers
Burgers are perhaps America’s most famous food worldwide, particularly in Japan. Many restaurants give their own spin on the American classic with unusual additions like wasabi and teriyaki. Japan is home to many of the coolest burger spots in the world, so if you’re a big burger fan, it might be worth a trip.
Pancakes
Finally, it’s pancakes. American-style pancakes are a mega-hit in Japan, and pancake houses are everywhere. Many of the most popular spots have daily queues with waits of 1-2 hours, which TimeOut reports may be due to the nation’s bizarre and time-consuming ‘souffle pancakes,’ which are immensely popular.
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