History Commons^™

Importing The American Dream: Japanese Hardware And Soft Power, Kenneth S. Klein

Tenor of Our Times

This paper explores the nature and reception of Japanese imports, both material and cultural, to America in recent history. It puts special focus on elements of popular culture such as film, television, sport, and video games to show how the content of Japanese imports shifted from being predominately hardware based to software based by the end of the 20^th century. The paper also explores the degree to which the Japanese identity of various products was hidden or emphasized in their advertisement and presentation. Throughout, the theme and question of quality is discussed. The American perception of the quality of …