First thoughts upon hearing "Japan".

[Souleks]

Weeaboos.

I loathe weeaboos.
.

just for fun...

is there a difference between weaboo and otaku?

There is none.
If you think you're an otaku then you are actually a weeaboo unless of course you live in Japan in which case you are a sad wreck and should go back to paying girls to dress up like maids and talk to you or sleep with your body pillow.

My initial reaction is "Oh god I have to try to hide my powerlevel."

 

[neonsword13-ops]

Persona 4. Because Persona 4 is awesome.

Second being anime because that, too, is awesome.

Here's proof:

 

[Nouw]

Its geographical position on the Earth . After that, Ultraman because my extended-family from Korea bought me lots of Ultraman stuff from Japan.

 

[Commissar Sae]

The meiji restoration. So sue me, I'm a historian and was pretty into Rurouni Kenshin back in high school.

 

[Muspelheim]

*Kraftwerk robo-voice* FU-KU-SHI-MA.

Also, delicious sushi. And cute but deadly fugu fish.

And tentacles, amongst other things.

 

[White_Lama]

Katanas

 

[SadakoMoose]

Oh Dear...
If it's not some kind of terrible sociological problem, then it's an unfortunate cultural oddity that will draw derision and rote comments like "oh Japan".
It's very tiresome.

 

[K84]

Alphaville.
Seriously, " Big in Japan" is the first thing on my mind.

 

[Olas]

I think of Tingle.

This is the face of Japan in my mind

 

[Ishal]

Crappy JRPG's and their grinding.

 

[Adeptus Aspartem]

1. Anime/Manga
2. Technology
3. Most beautiful language
4. Shintoism is kinda cool

In this particular order

 

[Filiecs]

An anime city full of tentacles. Then porn.
Nothing wrong with that if you ask me.

 

[Soviet Steve]

Nuclear explosion is the first thing that comes to mind.

 

[AsurasEyes]

Godzilla. My favorite giant monster of all time and my whole fucking childhood.

 

[lacktheknack]

I picture a gorgeous set of valleys lined with cherry blossoms, viewed from an opening in the wall of a Zen Garden, with Godzilla eating a tentacled monstrosity in the distance while burning a Chinese flag.

I'm not sure if I'm doing this right.

 

[Moderated]

I just thought of their flag, then had a passing thought about some character's anime hair and now I can't clearly remember what it was.

 

[operationgenesis]

Yeah, Godzilla was just my friggin' favorite as a kid. Whenever I hear the word "Japan" I feel a warm sensation in my heart. That quickly turns into burning pain as my body melts under the brutal onslaught of radioactive fire pouring out of a giant dinosaur's mouth.