Mutual Images: Americans and Japanese in TV Commercials.

To explore the portrayals of Americans in Japanese television commercials and Japanese in American television commercials, and how those portrayals are perceived by each nationality, a two-part study examined 745 American commercials and 956 Japanese commercials. Researchers first coded the number of American males and females who appeared in the Japanese commercials, and the number of Japanese males and females who appeared in the American commercials. The characters were then coded for major or minor roles, whether they were models or shown in leisure or work related settings, and whether the commercial was sponsored by an American or a Japanese company. Results showed that American males, who were most often middle aged and in a major role, appeared far more frequently in Japanese commercials (297 males) than did Japanese men in American commercials (44 males). American females appeared far more frequently as well, with a total of 212 American females versus 13 Japanese females in American commercials. Americans were most often portrayed in major roles enjoying leisure activities, and were frequently associated with food products, while Japanese most often had background roles and were associated with work activities, such as selling cars or car parts. Results also showed that both American and Japanese audiences rated American characters higher than Japanese characters, with American audiences giving American characters the highest ratings. Because television representation can affect viewers' attitudes and behavior, it is hoped that the findings of this study will contribute to better understanding between the United States and Japan. Extensive tables are included. (JC)