Turning Asian? The Increasing Global Convergence of Consumers

Image by travelphotographer from Pixabay

… Everyone around me is a total stranger

Everyone avoids me like a cyclone ranger

Everyone

That’s why I’m turning Japanese, I think I’m turning Japanese, I really think so

Turning Japanese, I think I’m turning Japanese, I really think so…

- Excerpt from the song, “Turning Japanese” by The Vapors, 1980

In the past, Orientalism and the idea of the Asian mystique played a major role in shaping Westerners’ interest in the East. Even in recent years, we still see reflections of cultural appropriation (though some argue that it is cultural appreciation) in pop culture, like in Avril Lavigne’s Hello Kitty, and in Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Girls. However, this propensity seems to be diminishing, and is instead being replaced by a more genuine yearning to learn about Asia, particularly among the younger generations. At the same time, as technology continues to compress the world virtually, a fascinating convergence in consumer behavior is occurring.

Exactly how and why is this happening? Let us first discuss the past dynamics of global soft power before examining the cross-cultural differences in consumer profiles. We can then move on to explore the manifestations of consumer convergence as well as…