Writing an anime blog, following the otaku culture and so on perhaps makes Japan’s cultural pervasion seem bigger and more likely than it is, or will be. Globalisation is making the world much smaller and obviously this is going to encourage cultural exchange, but not so much that it will cause a distinct sythesise between two fairly different kinds of culture. The West might dip into Japanese culture, see a Miyazaki film, go to Wagamama for sushi, but beyond that I doubt it will be any more ingrained.

Short of another World War and a Japanese invasion of America, of course. Because the sole reason Japan is so Americanised is because they were occupied for seven years after suffering a couple of nuclear attacks. A kind of extreme lead up to embracing new cultures, eh.

Good point about the Japanese horror flicks!

@ Haesslich, one never knows what’ll become the next big thing in the US, but hopefully, Japanese culture will become mainstream soon!

@Andrew, I actually think the influx of japanese pop culture will mostly stay the same as it is now. Ya think so? I guess I’m a shiny-eyed optimist in that I believe Japanese and Asian cultures will make it big here in the States.

Still, the way towards it being prevalent is lined with Asians everywhere as Rena suggested – without them there to provide the ‘entry’ for the average Joe, I doubt it’ll be seen as anything but a curious oddity that is completely outside ‘normal things’. Remember that Italian food, Irish traditions (Saint Patrick’s Day), and other things took a large influx of those immigrant populations to most of America to eventually make their way into the mainstream.

Also, one thing you didn’t point out in the above entry is the box office success of Japanese horror films, like “The Ring” or “The Grudge.” Granted, the films released here are adaptations, but it proves that Japanese culture is being absorbed as part of the predominant culture and points to a larger acceptance by Americans.