Japanese culture has evolved greatly over the years, from the country's original Jomon culture to its contemporary hybrid culture, which combines influences from Asia, Europe, and North America.
Historically, Korea and China and have been the most influential starting with the development of the Yayoi culture from around 300 BC and culminating with the introduction of rice farming, ceremonial burial, pottery, painting, writing, poetry, etiquette, the Chinese writing system, and Mahayana Buddhism by the 7th century AD.
In the pre-modern era, Japan developed a distinct culture, in its arts: (ikebana, origami, ukiyo-e), crafts (dolls, lacquerware, pottery), performances (bunraku, dance, kabuki, noh, rakugo), traditions (games, onsen, sento, tea ceremony, budo, architecture, gardens, swords), and cuisine.
From the mid-19th century onward, Western influence prevailed, with American influence becoming especially predominant following the end of World War II. This influence is apparent in Japan's contemporary popular culture, which combines Asian, European, and, 1950-onward, American influences.
Today, Japan is a major exporter of its own popular culture, which has gained popularity around the world, particularly in other East Asian countries and some areas of the United States. Many Japanese have also achieved international acclaim in fashion, film, literature, television, and music. Emerging and growing trends in Japanese culture include some of the highest-quality video games and game consoles, as well as a wide variety of graphic novels (usually called manga) and animated films (usually called anime) with distinctive artistic styles imitated the world over. As a result, many aspects of Japanese popular culture have attracted many devotees in Europe and North America
