Japan on American TV explores political, economic, and cultural issues
underlying depictions of Japan on U.S. television comedies and the
programs they inspired. Since the 1950s, U.S. television programs have
taken the role of "curators" of Japan, displaying and explaining
selected aspects for viewers. Beliefs in U.S. hegemony over Japan
underpin this curation process. Japan on American TV takes a historical
perspective to understand the diversity of Japan parodies and examines
six main categories of television portrayals representing different
genres and comedic forms: (1) stereotypes of judo instructors (1950s and
1960s); (2) samurai parodies (prevalent in the 1970s); (3) the Bubble
Economy Era in Sesame Street's Big Bird in Japan (1988); (4) "Cool
Japan" parodies (1990s through the present); (5) eager fans in sketch
series (2010s); and (6) makeover reality shows (2019). These examples
show changing patterns of cultural globalization and perpetuate national
stereotypes while verifying Japan's international influence. Television
presents an alternative history of American fascinations with and fears
of Japan.
Written in an accessible style that will appeal to scholars, teachers,
students, and anyone with an interest in Japan and popular culture, as
well as an ideal text for classroom use, Japan on American TV offers a
gentle means to approach racism, cultural essentialism, cultural
appropriation, and issues otherwise difficult to discuss and models new
ways to apply knowledge of Asian Studies.
