I get frustrated with the dilution of Japanese culture with American influences.
(I suspect it is happening to many countries..)
Most Japanese I have spoken to think America is cool.. and yet have never been there and seen the reality of it..
Their entire perception is from TV and Hollywood.
Baseball (and the ubiquitous baseball cap) are everywhere, T-shirts with American logos, American accents anytime we hear English (radio DJs, public address systems), the occasional huge American car, American flags in the wierdest of places..

It is disappointing because Japan is a great place with it's own unique old and modern culture and it is a shame to see so many young people thinking another country's culture is "cooler" when they don't actually know the reality of it.. just a facade image.
I suppose it is irreversible and will only get worse...

I understand your frustration Petina..
Hollywood sure is a great PR machine for the US.

I also think Japanese culture is cool and one of the most unique.. so it is a shame to see it polluted with crass outside influences sometimes...

I choose to live in a small Japanese town so I don't see or hear as much of it as we do in the cities.

are japanese similar in this vein with english people? assuming that we all live in london or have met the queen?

well im not american im canadian . but i think this fascination is mutual. not everyone in japan is america crazy and likewise even though american and canadian especially people 20 and under really like japan. and as far as im concerned thats ok, i highly doubt japan will change into a mini USA over night so its still gonna be cool. don`t worry^_^

You say that some Japanese like America but haven't been there but you must have liked Japan before you went there other wise you wouldn't have gone

On the flip side there are far too many westerners getting Kanji tattoos without truly having a clue as to the meaning. An Asian can always put away the baseball glove or stop eating hamburgers....tatts are more permanent