Lost in Translation and Japanese Culture in America

Going back to the globalization of the film “Lost in Translation” had got me thinking of just how much Japanese media (all be it not as prominent as it is in Japan with western cultures) is in the USA and surprisingly many other countries. For example, in the film, as in real life, western culture has a huge influence on the Japanese culture. The female school uniforms are sailor uniforms which caught on during the world war II era (or so I've been told). While Bill Murray's character was plastered everywhere, and they were singing songs in English in the karaoke bar.

Now, while not as prominent out here, there is a huge following of all things Japanese, such as Anime, Manga, certain games, and yes, even J-Pop. Sailor Moon for instance has a huge following out here, as does Bleach, Naruto and so on. And fans tend to want to watch most anime in Japanese with English subtitles. Then there is the J-pop and games. One game in particular was in demand for an English release that Sega compiled with a limited release, with one of the most popular pop icons in Japan, The vocaloid Hatsune Miku and Hatsune Miku's Project Diva f. While singing in mostly (if not only) Japanese she sells out concerts all over the world, while only being an animated character with a voice that is processed through a program. So to say that Japanese culture/media isn't prominent out here isn't true it is prominent.