[almostApatriot1]

Yes, Japanese culture has filled a gap. If there were more components to Western Culture outside of America's influence maybe it wouldn't be so prominent.

But what, culturally, is coming out of Canada, Europe, Australia, South America, or Asia (outside of Japan)? Not much that is universally appealing.

[jogjayr]

Canada's done all right in terms of music exports. I don't even know Western popular music all that well and I can name Bryan Adams, Shania Twain, Celine Dion, Justin Bieber, and Drake - I'm sure there's many more.

Hollywood and American TV has a ton of Canadian actors, which reminds me of the Canadian brain drain article from yesterday - maybe that's not restricted to tech :-)

"Asia (outside of Japan)" I can only speak to India. I'd say yoga and various forms of meditation (TM and some others) are pretty big in the West, as is Indian cuisine. People typecast Bollywood as this exotic industry that churns out musicals with no kissing scenes (both outdated info) but its exports are reasonably influential in the Middle East and parts of Africa. But yes relative to its size, India hasn't had much cultural influence upon the world in the 20th and 21st centuries.

[jacquesm]

Canada: Rush, Alanis Morissette, Nickelback, Saga and 100's of others. Celine Dion and Justin Bieber are Canadian but having lived in Canada I'd be more than happy if I never heard them again. And with Bieber I had that feeling from the first time I heard him, I guess it is to balance the score after Glenn Gould.

[favadi]

K-Pop has big influence in many Asian countries.

[jacquesm]

Europe: lots of music (just the Uk, just some pop: Beatles, Bowie), food, fashion, flowers, movies, books.

Canada: music, quite a few good writers for the size of the population, a generally nicer way of life than what I experienced in America.

Australia: I've never been there, so not much to comment on.

South America: food, dance, music, books.

Asia: food, books, dance, and again music.

Oh, and you left out Africa completely, again, Food, Dance, Music, I don't know any writers from there by name.

Funny how those four seem to be pretty common. At a guess, mr or mrs almostApatriot1 you haven't really been to any of those places, and if you have you probably didn't immerse.

If 'universal appeal' starts with 'has to be English and has to feel Western' then maybe only the UK and Australia would suit you. In that case try some Crowded House and have a slice of Cheddar on your sandwich.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowded_House

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheddar_cheese

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandwich

[rangibaby]

AC/DC is probably Australia’s biggest cultural export

[lostlogin]

Despite Neil Finn’s claims, you can’t really call Crowded house an Australian band when it’s half New Zealanders and places referenced are largely in New Zealand.

[jacquesm]

That's a good point. NZ wasn't on the list though so I cheated. Let's add Flight of the Concords then :)

[lostlogin]

And John Clarke. The Front Fell Off holds its own against anything. https://youtu.be/3m5qxZm_JqM

[SmellyGeekBoy]

British music and TV spring to mind as examples of cultural exports that pinch well above their weight.

[chrisweekly]

pinch -> punch

(as in, punch above your weight class in boxing)

[hrktb]

Europe’s electronic music and metal scene, the whole raspberry/arduino single board concept, Hong Kong/China’s action cinema, Korea’s romantic comedies...

That’s just from the top of my head. There’s big swaths of our culture that radiates from all around the world.

Now more often than not it will be cloned/absorbed in the US to the point US people won’t care to know where it comes from (and to be honest it’s not a issue).

[coldtea]

Clothes fashion and industrial design, for one, come mainly from Europe.