"Sushi" is probably the most widely known Japanese word in Britain today. "Manga," "karaoke" and "sudoku" are also much used, but speakers may not realize their Japanese origin. Not so long ago the most common Japanese words, which "the man in the street" knew, were probably "geisha" and "sayonara." Popular vocabulary and culture have changed Japan's image for the better.
Fifty years ago Japanese products were popularly thought to be shoddy and produced by sweated labor. Now consumers look to Japanese products for high quality and reliability, and Japan is no longer seen as a low-wage country. Sony with its popular Walkman began the revolution. Soon Japan's reputation for electronics, including TVs, turned such companies as Panasonic, Toshiba and Hitachi into household names. Then the spotlight turned to motorcars, especially when Nissan, Honda and Toyota established manufacturing plants in Britain.
The rise of China has inevitably overshadowed Japan's success in recent years. Japan's image has been tarnished by product recalls and dubious practices in some companies such as Olympus and Toshiba. The social problems in an aging society with a declining population and stagnation of the Japanese economy have also had an impact on Japan's standing.