Having an Internet connection practically entails exposure to Japanese culture in some form or another. Whether that is in the form of a co-worker posting a picture of sushi, a video clip of Japanese scientists showcasing a prototype of our future robot overlords, or someone you once knew from elementary school unapologetically revealing the ending to an anime series you never intended to watch, Japanese influence is everywhere.
Or, at least, sounds and images that can in some way or another be connected with Japan are everywhere. At this point, it really doesn't matter whether ramen originally came from China, or whether California rolls count as "Japanese" food, or if an animated show must be originally dubbed in Japanese to be considered "anime". Japan, in some form or another, is on the minds of many. Japan has a very real psychological reality however far the land of the rising sun may be from that conception. This got me thinking...
Why Japan?
In general, Japan is a relatively well defined "target" to project many nice things onto. Japan, in my Western mind, is a relatively clean and safe place. There are lots of pretty things there such as sakura blossoms, anime characters, and a cool looking (but really hard to learn) writing system. Japan may not be in my backyard, but it easily makes it way onto my desktop background.
Of course there are lots of people interested in lots of other places, but I don't think it is far-fetched to say that Japan, more so than other places has captured the imaginations of many netizens, myself included. Even the sheer size of anime/manga fandom alone makes interest in revealed scripture appear small. On reddit, r/Chistrianity has 127,516 subscribers, while r/anime has 530,327 as of Aug. 4, 2017. By this crude metric (and biased sample, admittedly), we can see that Japanese things are very culturally relevant.
Crucially though, "Japan" not only continues to create new romantic ideals, but it also delivers fairly decent returns to those that invest their attention in it. People expect certain things from Japan, and more often than not, I think that people find what they are looking for.
Let's look at the opposite of meeting expectations by crossing the Pacific Ocean and considering an extreme case of "culture shock".
"Paris Syndrome" (Japanese: パリ症候群 Pari shoukougun) is a term used to describe the phenomena by which a person (typically Japanese) is first taken in by an overly romanticized view of Paris (the French city) and then, after actually being there for some time, is subsequently crushed by the reality that the city they had imagined does not conform to what they actually witness. Those suffering from Paris Syndrome experience intense physiological and psychological disturbance, severe enough to cause some to suffer psychiatric breakdown. Paris syndrome, which was first diagnosed in 1986 by a Japanese physician working in France, is "still a thing" despite a rapidly changing situation in Europe, Paris included. A 2011 article in The Atlantic reports at least 20 cases of Paris Syndrome from that year.
Japanese travelers have been especially prone to Paris Syndrome. The Japanese Wikipedia entry describes the profile of most people reported to suffer from Paris syndrome as Japanese females in their 20s or 30s that come from affluent households1. Common among them is a favorable impression of Paris from media like novels and movies, and a desire to experience fashion, travel, media etc. in Paris through some form of "study abroad", working holiday visa, or some other situation that allows for an extended stay. In more recent times, many Chinese tourists now seem to be affected by Paris Syndrome.
Why is it that there is a "Paris Syndrome", which is enshrined in Wikipedia articles in many languages, but nothing like a "Tokyo Syndrome" making headlines?
A short article at Japan Powered titled "Japan on a Pedestal: Thoughts on the American Idealization of Japan" gives some thoughts on why Japan specifically appeals to many Americans. Japan tends to be associated with tradition, structure, and community. In contrast, America is associated with individualism, entrepreneurship, and progressive tendencies. Cultures in both America and Japan historically value hard work, determination, and a warrior ethos.
For an individual feeling lonely, misunderstood, or otherwise incompatible with the society they find themselves in at school, work, or home, it is easier to idealize Japan as offering something better. A person that does not feel a sense of belonging in a well-defined group (e.g. a sports team, a religious organization, etc.) may see the way that after-school clubs are portrayed in Japanese media and desire community like this. A person just laid off from their job may look up to the general trend of life-long employment in large companies in Japan.
Ironically, a shared idealizing of Japan can be sufficient to generate community, which may help address many of these issues. Perhaps more importantly, though, is the fact that many grievances against (American) society and alignment towards Japanese things are based in good reason.
Many "the grass is greener on the other side" type statements about Japan actually are supported by reality. For example, I may have the grievance that my neighborhood in the United States is unclean and unsafe because people frequently litter and commit crimes there that make residents reasonably concerned about their safety. I may complain that there are large scary dogs that bark at me on my way home and that having to travel over five miles to the nearest grocery store is very inconvenient. It is not difficult to see how an American coming from a situation like this may find that in Japan, many of these grievances actually do go away.
This is not to say that there aren't places that don't have these issues in the United States, but rather that being Japan is one of many solutions to avoid such things.
On the other hand, many of the Otaku's fantasies about Japan, the Otaku already knows to be fiction. Even a serious Otaku choosing a waifu (a fictional "wife"), has realistic expectations that a waifu is a waifu, and not a living, breathing human being. Expecting fiction from fiction for many aspects of Japan, there are no hopes to be dashed.
All this can be compared with unfulfilled Japanese expectations of Paris. For example, a Japanese tourist can go to Paris imagining that everyone (or even the majority of people) will look crisp and fashionable. Lo and behold, in addition to seeing many decidedly unfashionable looking French people, the tourist finds many of their own kind (tourists) tarnishing their treasured image. While an American visiting Japan may be struck by a similar situation, the degree to which this is likely to happen is much less, I imagine. For instance, if visiting Japan, you entertain the fantasy that there will be lots of people wearing suits, you will likely see...
...lots of people wearing suits.
During my high school years, I studied Spanish. The way I encountered Spanish contrasts sharply with how many people encounter Japanese. Spanish was presented to me as a language that is practical (I went to high school in California, where there are many Spanish speakers) and also as an important vehicle for better understanding diverse cultures. I learned about revolución in Latin America, controversy over bull fighting in Spain, and violations of derechos humanos (human rights) of Hispanics living in the United States. While I do not deny the importance of talking about topics like these, much of the content I engaged studying Spanish was downright depressing. In contrast, learners of Japanese are often motivated by fun and enjoyment more than anything else in their studies. Inextricably linked with Japanese (language) is Japan, and with it comes a whole barrel of monkeys.
Middle-aged computer engineers, children, dogs that want to wear sweaters – you name the demographic group – all have something pertinent to their interests related to Japan. An of course non-exhaustive list:
Japan occupies a special place in the world. While talk of "exceptionalism" is often filled with stereotypes and exaggerations, there are some pretty solid pieces of evidence suggesting that as a global "soft power", Japan really is something different.
Chances are, if you are reading this from the United States, studying Japanese or learning about samurai doesn't have many immediate applications to your social life, career, familiar relations, etc. unless you have intentionally arranged aspects of your day such that Japan plays a relevant role. This can be contrasted with the place English plays in the lives of millions (maybe billions) of people around the globe – English is clearly the most practical first foreign language to learn in order to gain access to more people, information, opportunities, etc.
Nevertheless, Japan probably is a part of your life, even if you have never been to Japan and don't have any plans of visiting in the near future. There are many countries in the world with many more people, with higher GDPs, etc. But for some reason, I find myself sipping green tea while playing a song from a Studio Ghibli movie on a Yamaha guitar while I wait for the sun to rise.
Much more can be said about what sets a person up for disappointment. Stay tuned for a future piece on this topic.↩