# Simpsons in Japan **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 24, 2003, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-in-japan/214970 "2003-11-24T07:44:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ponster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponster/32/17081_2.png) [@Ponster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponster)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-in-japan/214970/1 "2003-11-24T07:44:49Z")
I read an article in yesterdays Independant (UK) about the latest episode of The Simpsons staring the British PM, Tony Blair. It started that the show was the worlds most popular animated prime-time television show and has " a world-wide audience (except in Japan)" I found the part about Japan in brackets interesting. Why don’t they like it is ‘everyone’ else seems to find it amusing? Is it cultural? Did the Simspons insult Japan a little too much? Or is it just the Simpsons or all US-based cartoons? ---
**Author:** ![DreadCthulhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DreadCthulhu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DreadCthulhu)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-in-japan/214970/2 "2003-11-24T08:19:44Z")
Well, in Japan they have lots of other animated shows, that would compete with the Simpsons for popularity. Still, when I was over in Japan I do remember seeing the Simpsons as reasonably popular, enough so that the characters are used to advertise C.C. Lemon, a soft drink over there. ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-in-japan/214970/3 "2003-11-24T08:34:06Z")
The article is wrong. It’s not incredibly popular here (although well known from the C.C. Lemon ads) but it is shown on cable here, making Japan part of the “world-wide audience”. ---
**Author:** ![Ponster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponster/32/17081_2.png) [@Ponster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponster)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-in-japan/214970/4 "2003-11-24T09:08:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cckerberos \* > \*\*The article is wrong. \*\* I think that the fact that it’s shown in Japan doesn’t exactly make it popular in Japan. [http://www.newspringfield.com/inside/cclemon/](http://www.newspringfield.com/inside/cclemon/) > [@](#): > > Anyhow according to the Bongo Beat #58, “The Simpsons” is not very popular. "Outside of a relatively small population of TV subscribers, very few people in Japan (less than 1%) even know who the Simpsons are. > > I have interviewed a Japanese fan and also a webmaster of “The Simpsons News”, Ichirou F to > > confirm what Bongo Beat mentioned was true or not. According what he said, “The Simpsons” is not popular in Japan at all and there is only one boardcasting company, WOWOW (charged satellite boardcasting company), in Japan boardcast Simpsons episodes in the early of 1993. Not the greatest sic in the world but all I could google. ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-in-japan/214970/5 "2003-11-24T09:58:01Z")
I didn’t say it was popular here. I’m just saying that I believe that since it is shown in Japan and some people here do watch it, that makes Japan part of the Simpson’s world-wide audience. As to why it’s not very popular here, it’s probably because it doesn’t translate very well. In general, Japanese people don’t understand sarcasm or irony or find it amusing. They probably also miss most of the cultural references. Other cartoons such as the Disney and PIXAR movies and the Powerpuff Girls are popular here. ---
**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-in-japan/214970/6 "2003-11-24T16:04:48Z")
Simpsons is mired in pop culture reference and very culture specific humor. I wouldn’t expect it to be popular anywhere outside the US. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-in-japan/214970/7 "2003-11-24T16:09:14Z")
My theory is that there is not enought fan service in the Simpsons. ---
**Author:** ![Ponster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponster/32/17081_2.png) [@Ponster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponster)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-in-japan/214970/8 "2003-11-24T16:17:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bongmaster \* > \*\*I wouldn’t expect it to be popular anywhere outside the US. \*\* Yet it is…in the countries I’ve lived in (Ireland, UK, France, Italy and Sweden) it’s huge to the extent that bars in Paris will have special Simpson screenings on Sunday evening for the newest episode. True that a large % of these bars are anglophonic but it’s a mixed US/UK/French crowd. While I don’t have a cite I could prob say that The Simpsons is arguably the world’s most popular cartoon family.