The reason I’m making this is because I noticed how much English there is in countless anime openings, amongst a few other things.
Did something cause this particular fascination? Did it happen overtime? It feels like almost exclusively western culture and nothing else. I might be completely wrong on that.
Is there any specific explanation?
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They spent a very long time closed out to foreign countries. They only really started opening up culturally since WW2 with a lot of Americans there after the war.
After World War ii, the United States occupied Japan for several years. As such, Western culture had a big influence on Japan, which is filtered into their pop culture.
Look up the Meiji Restoration. Basically, since the mid-late 1800s, Japan has had sort of an inferiority complex (with all due respect), which intensified after losing WW2. Initially, it was a way to open foreign trade and catch up with the west’s technology, fearing they’d be conquered if they didn’t.
My best guess: globalisation and opening up to/being interested in other influences and foreign culture. You could also Why are so many people interested in Japanese culture? Eating Japanese, playing games, watching anime and movies, learning the language etc.
If you go there you’ll see they aren’t. Yes they’re into some things more then others and over time that changes but there’s no obsession.
I understand why you’ve asked but it’s a bit like a Japanese traveler to the States wondering why everyone is obsessed with Japan because there’s Nintendo and PS5 games in everyone’s house. It seems a large sample size but it actually isn’t.
By the way it really is a great country to go to when you get the chance!
They are also obsessed with their own culture and Chinese culture. Have you seen how many Nobunaga-related anime/manga/game they have? Or how much they love three kingdoms?
“Is there any specific explanation?”
It’s marketing. There are more people who know english than people who know japanese. So if you want to make something that appeals to as broad of an audience as possible, you’ll have to use the language that’s most probably spoken by those people.
Because we came to their country with guns and said “buy our culture”. They’re not obsessed with it, it’s just a market they were forced to participate in.
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