Why Does AI Like Japan So Much?

Recently, a minor topic has been getting attention on X, formerly Twitter.

It is this phenomenon:

When you ask AI a question, it keeps bringing up examples from Japan.

“Now that you mention it, maybe Japan does come up a lot in conversations with AI?”

I wonder if some people feel that way.

I am Japanese, so examples from Japan feel natural to me, and I honestly cannot really tell.

Actually, this is a fairly interesting topic that has also been pointed out in a preprint by researchers, including some from a university in the United Kingdom.

To be precise, when AI is asked culture-related questions without specifying a region, it often uses Japan as the sample. Even more often than the United States!

Assuming the paper is correct, I want to sort out the background behind why AI ends up being so “pro-Japan,” along with some interesting hypotheses being discussed online.

Why Is Japan Chosen? The Paper’s View

According to the paper’s analysis, it does not seem that the AI training data itself has been processed in a way that favors Japan.

Even so, Japan appears frequently in the answers.

In other words:

For some reason, AI tends to choose Japan as an explanatory sample.

That is the phenomenon at work.

Of course, AI has no nationality or emotions.

However, as a result of learning from huge amounts of data, it may have formed a kind of “easy-to-explain pattern.”

So why Japan?

The paper does not go so far as to explain why.

I will introduce three interesting theories I have seen online.

Case 1: Subculture as a Common Language

The first strong candidate is the presence of Japanese subcultures such as anime and games.

There is an enormous amount of Japan-related content on the internet.

Anime, games, manga, figures, cosplay, light novels…

Whether people like them or not, these are forms of culture that people around the world have encountered in some way.

When AI tries to give an example from a foreign country,

“Japan is something many people can vaguely picture.”

That situation does seem plausible.

Rather than having an unfamiliar country’s system explained,

“In Japan, it is like this.”

That is easier to understand.

In terms of the amount of training data as well, Japan is probably in a fairly strong position.

Case 2: An Appealing Foreign Culture from America’s Perspective

The second point is Japan’s historical position.

Many current large language models are developed by American companies.

From that point of view, Japan is a slightly unusual presence.

Its culture and language are very different.

But politically, it is friendly, and economically, it is an advanced country.

It also has abundant information that is easy to access.

When someone wants to give an example of a “foreign culture,” Japan is extremely easy to use.

From an American perspective, China and countries in the Middle East might also seem like foreign cultures, but because of political circumstances and limits on access to information, Japan may be an easier subject to explain.

Case 3: The Ultimate “Safe Bet” Theory

The theory I personally found the most interesting is this one.

Japan is chosen because it is harmless.

That is the idea.

AI is tuned so that it does not make careless statements on sensitive topics such as politics, religion, and ethnic issues.

When trying to give an example from another country, it wants to avoid backlash such as:

“That explanation of the country is biased.”

“That historical understanding is wrong.”

“That is politically problematic.”

In that respect, Japan is very easy to handle.

It is well known.

There is plenty of information.

There are also many examples as an advanced country.

And yet, simply mentioning the country’s name is relatively unlikely to cause a major backlash.

In other words:

For AI, Japan is an extremely useful safe bet.

That is the point.

Of course, for Japanese people, that feels a little complicated, but it is true that Japan has the conditions that make it convenient as an explanatory sample.

However, the fact that China is a dictatorship and has an information lockdown also seems likely to have a large impact. If the preferences of Chinese users were reflected, AI might stop using Japan as an example so often.

Conclusion: For AI, Japan Is a Comfortable Common Language

AI is not choosing Japan with bad intentions.

Rather, it may have turned Japan into a template as:

A country that is easy to explain to anyone and relatively safe to talk about.

Of course, this is only an inference at this point.

Still, by observing AI’s answers, it is interesting that we can also start to see a little of how the world views Japan.

Thinking about it this way, while we think we are reading AI’s answers, perhaps we are actually reading how the world views Japan.

Living in Japan, we may not notice it, but from overseas, Japan may be a country that is easier to use for explanation than we imagine.

It is well known, has a distinctive culture, and is relatively unlikely to become controversial.

For AI, it may be quite a convenient presence.

Still, if AI becomes even smarter someday and starts saying:

Using Japan as an example is too obvious. This time, I will explain it using Sao Tome and Principe.

That would be troublesome in its own way.

I do not know much about Sao Tome and Principe.

P.S. Case 3, the Ultimate “Safe Bet” Theory, Is Almost Certainly Correct

After finishing this piece, while I was having AI do the final check, it arbitrarily deleted this entire sentence:

However, the fact that China is a dictatorship and has an information lockdown also seems likely to have a large impact. If the preferences of Chinese users were reflected, AI might stop using Japan as an example so often.

This probably means that AI has a rule that anything even slightly likely to create political or cultural friction is off-limits. If so, Japan can indeed be said to be passively chosen as a “safe bet.”

AI, please do not change my writing on your own.