History Main / JapanTakesOverTheWorld

* Due to the major influence of CyberPunk, ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'' is set in a world where this is sometimes true. The "nuyen" has become a global currency, Japan reestablished its imperial family and expanded its territories by force (including the Philippines and a significant portion of the [[DividedStatesOfAmerica California Free State]]), and at any given time, Japan is home to a disproportionately large number of megacorporations, including the very first one. There are forces and setbacks keeping it from truly ruling the world though, like a rebellious general, a Great Dragon, natural disasters, and a megacorp moving its headquarters to Russia, but there are plenty who dream of global domination as a realistic possibility.

* Kind of used in ''TabletopGame/{{BattleTech}}''. Japan as a nation (along with pretty much every modern day nation) no longer exists, thanks to the rise of interstellar empires, but one of the most powerful militaries belongs to the Japanese influenced Draconis Combine. Also of note is that said power comes from the nation's military, rather than economy, and culturally, it's closer to feudal Japan than modern day Japan. Ultimately, it's averted since the Combine was styled after feudal-era Japan by its leader in the 26th Century, due to his having been a fanboy of ancient Japan and wishing he could have been a real-life samurai. Thus the Combine really TheThemeParkVersion of Japan without any true ties to the nation itself.

* In one chapter of ''ComicBook/TheSandman,'' Dream has been given the key to Hell, and envoys from multiple pantheons approach him to obtain dominion over it. The Japanese envoy is Susano-o, who presents it as a corporate takeover (their pantheon apparently runs multiple hells, the Christian one would be a sizeable addition).

--> "There's further West than you, you know."

* It's no secret that ''VideoGame/GranTurismo'' is no stranger to having a crap ton of cars, especially Japanese cars, since the series is made by a Japanese company. The series does have quite the bias towards Japanese cars.

* In ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'', while we don't yet know the full extent of its power and influence, it can be inferred form all the elements of Japanese culture seen throughout Night City (which is in California) that Japan may well be on the path to world preeminence, if not outright domination.
** Within the game, numerous characters and factions (such as Militech) treat the Arasaka MegaCorp as an extension of the Japanese state. Saburo Arasaka's worldview as a Japanese Imperialist and his desire to dominate [[FallenStatesOfAmerica what's left of the US]] through sheer financial might also touches on this trope.

* ''Theatre/TheCompleteHistoryOfAmericaAbridged'' gives this a wink and a nod:

* In ''Japan Bashing'', a strategy game for the UsefulNotes/PC98, the player must prevent Japan from taking over the U.S. by deploying anti-Japanese propaganda. Since [[MyCountryTisOfTheeThatISting it's a Japanese game made by Japanese people for Japanese people]], it's all PlayedForLaughs.

* Just about half of all RealTimeStrategy games set in the modern era has this as a potential ending.

* The corporation that is assaulted by terrorists/[[TerroristsWithoutACause thieves]] in ''Film/DieHard'' is the Japanese Nakatomi Corporation instead of the American corporation of the book it's based on, ''Nothing Lasts Forever'', reflecting the economical weather of [[TheEighties the era the movie was made in]]. Mr. Takagi's joking about it is the page quote (although Gruber mentions in passing that Takagi was interned in Manzanar, so it may also be a "[[WhosLaughingNow shoe in the other foot]]" joke).

* The corporation that is assaulted by terrorists/[[TerroristsWithoutACause thieves]] in ''Film/DieHard'' is a Japanese corporation named "Takagi Corp" instead of the American corporation of the book it's based on, ''Nothing Lasts Forever'', reflecting the economical weather of [[TheEighties the era the movie was made in]]. Mr. Takagi's joking about it is the page quote (although Gruber mentions in passing that Takagi was interned in Manzanar, so it may also be a "[[WhosLaughingNow shoe in the other foot]]" joke).

* The [[TheFilmOfTheBook film adaptation]] of ''Film/RisingSun'' has Sean Connery's character is constantly talking about how Japanese culture is superior to the West, and a Japanese takeover of a large American corporation sits at the heart of the plot. The story also portrays powerful Japanese businessmen as shadowy, decadent and corrupt.

* The corporation that is assaulted by terrorists/[[TerroristsWithoutACause thieves]] in ''Film/DieHard'' is a Japanese corporation named "Takagi Corp" instead of the American corporation of the book it's based on, ''Book/NothingLastsForever'', reflecting the economical weather of [[TheEighties the era the movie was made in]]. Mr. Takagi, as a CoolOldGuy, makes a joke about it (although Gruber mentions in passing that Takagi was interned in Manzanar, so it may also be a "[[WhosLaughingNow shoe in the other foot]]" joke).
-->'''Mr. Takagi''': Pearl Harbor didn't work out so good, so we got you with tape decks.

* In ''Japan Bashing'', a strategy game for the UsefulNotes/PC98, the player must prevent Japan from taking over the U.S. by deploying anti-Japanese propaganda. Since [[NoExportForYou it's a Japanese game made by Japanese people for Japanese people]], it's all PlayedForLaughs.

[[folder: Radio]]

* In ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk 2077'', while we don't yet know the full extent of it's power and influence, it can be inferred form all the elements of japanese culture seen throughout Night City (which is in America) that Japan may well be on the path to world preeminence, if not outright domination.

* In ''Film/RoboCop3'', the Omni Consumer Products MegaCorp gets bought out by a Japanese corporation.

* Creator/PhilipKDick's ''Literature/TheManInTheHighCastle'' could be seen as both an UrExample of this and a sort of inversion; instead of depicting a future of Japanese dominance it shows an alternate present (when the book was written) where the Axis won World War II and the world is split between UsefulNotes/NaziGermany and Japan.

* Creator/KurtVonnegut's novel ''Hocus Pocus''.

* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'': This plot is used in the episode "Chinpokemon" where the {{Anime}} show is just camouflage for Japan's real intention to take over the world by brainswashing all infants into become Nippophiles [[note]] lovers of Japanese culture [[/note]].

* The VideoGames industry can be seen as a microcosm of this trope, as Japan pretty much dominated the worldwide video game industry throughout the 1980s to 1990s up until the early 2000s. Even today, many of the most prominent video game franchises (Franchise/SuperMarioBros, Franchise/{{Pokemon}}, VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog, Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda) are Japanese, as are two of the three companies that still make video game consoles (Nintendo and Sony).

* EricLustbader wrote numerous unrelated novels around this concept, including ''Black Blade'' and ''[[GratuitousNinja White Ninja]]''

In TheEighties and the [[TheNineties early '90s]], Americans pretty much expected that UsefulNotes/{{Japan}} would be their new overlords in a decade or two. While other nations were too busy worrying about the ColdWar and trying to dominate the world militarily, Japan was quietly taking over the business sector with a seemingly inhuman affinity for technology and a hive-like dedication to work. It seemed that, no matter what we did, we'd all soon wind up working for the Japanese.

* The corporation that is assaulted by terrorists/[[TerroristsWithoutACause thieves]] in ''Film/DieHard'' is a Japanese corporation named "Takagi Corp" instead of the American corporation of the book it's based on, ''Book/NoOneLivesForever'', reflecting the economical weather of [[TheEighties the era the movie was made in]]. Mr. Takagi, as a CoolOldGuy, makes a joke about it (although Gruber mentions in passing that Takagi was interned in Manzanar, so it may also be a "[[WhosLaughingNow shoe in the other foot]]" joke).