Sarah Elvins

2026 London

Abstract: This paper will explore changing American perceptions of Japanese technology in the 1960s and 1970s, in particular the introduction of Japanese cars to the American market. During the first half of the twentieth century, Japan was associated with inexpensive, light industrial goods like toys, textiles and hosiery and matches. Items labelled “Made in Japan” were often derided as lower quality imitations of European or North American goods. Japanese goods often were the butt of jokes. This stereotype shifted rapidly in the postwar decades. After World War II, Japanese exports shifted to electronics, cameras, optical lenses and other high-tech products. Car manufacturers emphasized connections between automobiles and other types of Japanese technology. Dealerships ran promotions where customers who test drove a Toyota were given a chance to win a Sony portable television. Cars were marketed with special compartments to hold cameras. Advanced audio systems became key features of even economy- model Japanese cars. Japanese auto manufacturers attempted to shape public attitudes through their advertising. Yet they often had to push back against stereotypes and Orientalist tropes about Japanese culture and society. Manufacturers took pains to reassure the public that Japanese-made cars could handle the weather and terrain of North America. Methodology: Using advertisements, trade magazines, newspaper articles and correspondence from Japanese car manufacturers and American advertising agencies, this paper explores the changing meaning of “Made in Japan” in the American market. A case study of the Subaru “Subaru is not a Japanese Beetle” campaign highlights how Subaru hoped to differentiate itself from other imports.