What is the “Japan Effect” on TikTok? All About the Viral Trend

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Trend expert Gavin Santiago explains why the effect works & why it’s so popular

Co-authored by Devin McSween Reviewed by Gavin Santiago

Last Updated: January 7, 2026 Fact Checked

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• What is the “Japan effect” trend?
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• Why does the “Japan effect” work?
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• Why is the trend popular?
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• Why is there a “Japan effect?”
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• Video

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If you’ve been on TikTok recently, you’ve probably seen popular posts where users share 2 identical photos: one labeled “Japan” and the other labeled with the real location. And if you thought the photo labeled Japan looked better, you’re not alone! Called the “Japan effect,” this trend highlights how people tend to view Japan through rose colored glasses. In this article, we’re deep-diving into the “Japan effect” trend and explaining what it is, why it works, and why it’s so popular, with insights from trend expert Gaven Santiago. Keep reading to learn more!

Explaining the “Japan Effect” Trend

According to trend expert Gavin Santiago, the “Japan effect” is a trend on TikTok where users share 2 identical photos of a town or landscape, labelling one with the real location and the other with a city in Japan. Viewers tend to perceive the “Japan” photo more favorably, even though the photos are exactly the same.

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Section 1 of 4:

What is the “Japan effect” TikTok trend?

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   The trend shows how people view Japan more positively than other areas. Santiago says users “upload photos of places like no-wheres-ville Wisconsin and label them as something like ‘Osaka Japan.’ Some accounts even show the same photo twice. For example, in one instance the edited version (usually with Japanese writing replacing the English on buildings, cars, etc.) will claim that it's ‘Osaka Japan’ while the unedited photo might reveal that it's actually ‘Bayfield Wisconsin.’” While the pictures are usually the exact same, the “effect” is clear: people tend to view the photo labeled “Japan” as better and more beautiful!

   • This trend is definitely visual, so check out these popular examples:
     • This video by @belascacao
     • This slideshow by @pangeamisu
     • This video by @bobbyandava
     • This video by @thehelenhai
     • This video by @chickenbuffalowings_
   • In some videos and slide shows, the poster touches up the “Japan” photo to emphasize the effect. They might raise the saturation, add a pink filter, or even edit trees and buildings.
     • For instance, they might make the trees cherry blossoms or add Japanese text to signs.
   • Some people post the “Japan effect” trend genuinely to indicate that they believe their local area would be more beautiful if it were actually in Japan.
   • On the other hand, some people post the “Japan effect” trend to mock how people overly romanticize Japan and think everything is better there (in other words, people who “glaze” the country).

   Meet the wikiHow Expert

   Gavin Santiago is a trend expert and content creator with over 45,000 followers on TikTok. He’s known for covering everything from rants in the car to trendy topics, pop culture, and Zillennial nostalgia.
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Section 2 of 4:

Why does the “Japan effect” work?

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   The trend might be related to a real phenomenon called contextual framing. Santiago says this trend “proves something interesting about how our brains are impacted by contextual framing. If we knew the photo was of some place like Wisconsin, Ohio, Iowa, etc. 99% of us would just scroll past it without a second thought. But if it suddenly has the Japan label, our brains go ‘wait a minute this photo is kind of aesthetic, look at these cute little Japanese shops and bakeries!’”

   • So, the “Japan effect” might work simply because you’re presenting the same old landscape or city views as being in a place that’s new and different to you—and importantly, one that most people admire—which makes it seem better.
   • Contextual framing is a common effect in movies. For instance, you might read an actor’s neutral expression as sad if somber music is playing, or happy if upbeat music is playing.
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   The “Japan effect” might also be supported by the mere-exposure effect. The mere-exposure effect is the idea that people tend to rate things that are familiar to them as more favorable. However, if they’re repeatedly exposed to the same thing too much, that familiarity causes them to lose interest. It’s no secret that pretty views and charming city streets often lose their novelty and “shine” when you see them every day. But, if you simply pretend that they’re in a new location, they might just appear exciting, fresh, and simply better.
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Section 3 of 4:

Why is the “Japan effect” trend so popular?

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   The trend plays into the general popularity of Japan. “The reason this works so well for Japan is that most of us already have an aesthetic bias towards it (especially driven from how anime has grown in popularity amongst the younger generations, at least in my opinion as a weeb),” Santiago notes. “So many of us romanticize Japan and its culture, its food, the cherry blossom trees, etc. So when we see a photo that somebody claims to have been taken in Japan, we start mentally filling in the gaps.”

   • Santiago continues, “I think the inverse is also true. You could very likely take a photo of a neighborhood in Tokyo and label it as something like ‘Columbia Ohio’ or another place that carries a different aesthetic bias than Japan, and people may nitpick the photo rather than romanticize it.”
   • Simply put, the “Japan effect” trend is popular because Japan itself is popular! The country is renowned for its rich history, exciting culture, delicious food, colorful cities, and beautiful scenery, giving it a unique charm that everyone seems to love.
   • This makes Japan a worldwide tourist destination, and content about visiting it or simply praising its positive qualities tends to generate views on social media.
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   The trend highlights the beauty that’s lying in your own backyard. Some people are using the “Japan effect” trend to shift their perspective and appreciate the beauty surrounding them. If the view in their town appears beautiful when it’s labeled as “Japan,” that means it’s still beautiful right where they are! So, the trend is a way to romanticize and be grateful for where you live.
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Section 4 of 4:

Why is there a “Japan effect” in the first place?

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1. 
   People tend to romanticize Japanese culture. Because Japan is so popular and culturally relevant around the world, a lot of people agree that things are just better and cooler in Japan, from their convenience stores to their high-speed trains. On social media, people often wish that their technology, stores, food options, TV shows, and general culture were more like Japan’s.

   • For lots of Westerners, Japan seems totally opposite to their culture. So, that difference and novelty makes the country seem even cooler and “better.”
   • The idea that Japan is so much better than other places has caused some people to push back against the idea, which is why some TikTokers participate in the “Japan effect” trend in a more mocking way.
   • “The deeper lesson here is that your perspective on things really depends on the lens you're looking through,” Santiago explains. “The Japan effect is not about how one place is 'objectively prettier' but about how we're impacted by branding, context, and bias.”

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