5 Ways Japanese Culture Took Hold in America: From Sushi to Cinema

American interest in Japanese culture intensified after World War II and during the U.S. occupation of Japan, explains Charles R. Long in "An Informal History of Bonsai."

Americans became drawn to the “elegance in home design, home furnishings and gardens" of traditional Japanese design, says Usha Haley of Wichita State University. “These trends reached our shores as modular and brandable cultural artifacts.”

One of the clearest examples of this influence was the popularity of bonsai—a Japanese art form that involves cultivating and carefully shaping miniature trees. “Persons from every walk of American society enjoyed this cross-cultural experience," writes Long, "one which formerly had been confined to diplomats, businessmen and the affluent.” In 1950, the California Bonsai Society was created, followed by the American Bonsai Society in 1967. By the 1950s and into the 1960s, bonsai trees appeared on American Christmas cards and were in the pages of popular media like American Homes Magazine.

The cultivation of bonsai trees—known for their long lifespans and need for meticulous pruning—remains a popular hobby today.

Japanese cinema started around the late 1800s, after the pioneering French filmmakers, the Lumière brothers sent their camera operator there to introduce the Cinématographe, their portable motion picture device. In the early 1900s, production companies were established and laid the groundwork for a Japanese film industry. Films of this early era focused on “a continuing debt to literary beginnings, extending to the casting of stage actors and theatrical troupes,” writes Donald Richie in The Japanese Cinema.

In the 1950s, Japan entered what is considered its Golden Age of cinema. Filmmakers such as Akira Kurosawa and Kajiro Yamamoto and actors like Toshiro Mifune became internationally recognized. Films in this era also crafted genres that were culturally specific to Japan but had wide crossover appeal in the United States. In 1954, Gojira (Godzilla, to Americans) introduced the kaiju film—movies about destructive monsters—to U.S. audiences. It also served as a searing allegory about World War II and America’s use of nuclear power.

Samurai features were also popular in America. These films usually focused on a stoic warrior, best exemplified by Mifune’s performances in Seven Samurai (1954) and Yojimbo (1961). They showcased a Hollywood sensibility for action and adventure, but also emphasized a warrior’s code of ethics that would influence American Westerns.

The 1960s also saw Japan turn to television, particularly for children. Adaptations of Japanese manga like "Speed Racer" and "Astro Boy" were especially popular in the United States. “Back then, manga (comic books and graphic novels) and, later on, anime were products of artistic interaction between Japanese, European and American cultures, combined with new printing and media technologies,” writes Nissim Otmazgin in Anime in the U.S.

The cartoon style took hold alongside expanding globalization, which allowed culture to move quickly across borders and into new markets. Japanese cartoons were adapted for American audiences through practices like dubbing and editing. To meet tight production schedules, studios often relied on short episodes and streamlined animation techniques. Because of this efficiency, American television networks were able to broadcast many of these shows relatively close to their original release, creating a shared cultural moment that connected audiences in Japan and the United States. By the 1980s, anime had evolved into a global phenomenon, further amplified by cross-promotional marketing such as toys, video games and merchandise.

Describing the mass appeal of anime in the 1990s, Otmazgin points to how toddlers, young kids and adults could all enjoy the art form: “Anime was originally aimed at preschoolers, with such series as 'Tetswan Atom' and later on 'Pokémon' and 'Digimon,' followed by 'Dragonball Z,' which became popular among children of all ages, while adult-oriented anime, such as 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' and Miyazaki Hayao's movies, enabled grown-ups to find intellectual depth, as well as enjoyment.”

“American audiences often gravitate toward Japanese trends during periods of cultural saturation or burnout, seeking depth, discipline or escapism that feels more intentional than mainstream Western offerings,” says marketing expert Victoria Fields. By the late 1990s, American youth were inundated with so much content and consumer power they were desperate for something different.

That something was Pokémon, a wide-sweeping franchise (spanning cartoons and video games) that blended long-form storytelling with a completionist mentality. Kids could follow the adventures of Ash, a wannabe Pokémon Master, as he set out to catch and train a wide variety of creatures. They could also create their own adventures through the Pokémon video games or trading card game, where the goal was to “catch ’em all.”

“Pokémon arrived in the U.S. during the late 1990s when American youth culture was primed for immersive entertainment, collectibility and cross-platform storytelling. Its success came from blending Japanese narrative structure and character design with American gaming habits, merchandising and nostalgia-driven consumption,” says Fields. The franchise is still going strong today. Pokémon has moved from small screens (and gaming consoles) to enhanced cellphone technology with Pokémon Go, an augmented reality (AR) game that surged in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Japanese culture has also altered the food we eat. Drinks like matcha and fish-centric items like sushi have transitioned from niche offerings to mainstream staples.

Although sushi has existed in Japan for centuries, it didn’t gain real traction in America until the 1960s, when a younger, more adventurous generation began seeking out new and unfamiliar cuisines. The breakthrough came with the creation of the California roll in the late 1960s and 1970s. By using familiar ingredients like avocado and cooked crab, chefs intentionally catered to American tastes and hesitations about raw fish. This fusion dish became a gateway for many first-time consumers and helped transform sushi into a mainstream food category by the 1980s.

Matcha—a finely ground powder made from specially grown green tea leaves, traditionally whisked with water in Japanese tea ceremonies—followed a different path to popularity, gaining widespread appeal in the United States in the 2010s. “It caught on in the U.S. during a period when consumers were actively questioning caffeine culture, prioritizing wellness and gravitating toward ritual-based self-care,” says Fields.

Its versatility has made it especially appealing, allowing it to become a regular offering in lattes, desserts, skincare products and dietary supplements. As Fields explains, “Social media accelerated adoption by turning matcha into both a wellness product and a lifestyle signal.”