Following decades of hot pursuit, Japan feels it no longer needs to catch up with the U.S. Fifth in a series Staff writer Who would have believed 50 years ago that the hatred spawned during World War II could dissipate to the extent that former enemies now reminisce about shared cultural experiences, such as movies and games?
However unlikely it may have seemed, for Japan and the United States it is now a reality.
For the bulk of the postwar period, the trade in culture across the Pacific has been dominated by the U.S. Now kimono are worn only on special occasions and jeans are the casual clothing of choice, while Hollywood films are more popular here than their Japanese counterparts.