Bonded by Stereotypes, Clichés, and Tropes: Introduction to Themed Issue “Symbols of Japan”

W ith record numbers of visitors travelling to Japan, never has there been a time when so many are having an opportunity to see and experience the country for themselves.While airfares for those travelling from Europe, in particular, are much higher than in the past, the favourable exchange rate (as of early 2025) has meant that the time in Japan is more affordable than it has been for decades.Together with this explosion in inbound tourism (which also produces further global exposure of Japan through social media posts), there is also greater access to films and programmes set in Japan, including Japanese-made programmes.The combination of these two factors should provide an opportunity for people to become well informed about life in Japan.However, this possibility needs to be treated with caution, as this article, as an introduction to a themed issue on 'symbols' of Japan, sets out.There is no shortage of literature concerning the development and role of stereotypes, clichs, and tropes.Indeed, from the earliest encounters with the Japanese, 'Westerners' have perceived the Japanese through a reductive lens, often linked to the belief of 'Western' (and, historically, European) superiority.While there may be limitations to these characterizations, and many may be outdated, one cannot also not say that in most, if not all, cases that they cannot be found.As Ian Littlewood notes, One by one, the time-honoured images turn out to be true.But in doing so, they obscure all the other things that are true-which is why they are so dangerous.They teach us what to look for, and that is what we find; everything else becomes a background blur.We are left with a reality selected for us by our stereotypes.(Littlewood xiii) Therefore, it is pertinent to consider where some of these stereotypes may be formed.This article does by looking at two types of media outputs.In the first section, primarily written by Christopher Hood, the article considers some foreign films set in Japan and what stereotypes, clichs, and tropes they contain.The second part of the article, primarily written by Christopher Hayes, turns to more