High End Audio-Gaining Higher Ground?

Actually, PhD, I was in Japan two months ago and was flabbergasted at just how much hip hop culture has influenced pop culture there. It is very obvious in TV programming and commercials and the way young people dress. Rap in Japanese is something to experience :-) In Korea it was even more prevalent.

While it is true that in Asia there is a deep interest in most things American I think the overriding issue (as much as one can fairly generalize about these things) is that the Japanese love quality; not only American quality. The main reason for the soaring price of certain French made vintage musical instruments is the hoarding by Japanese collectors.

Frogman, that is very interesting, I had thought there would be pockets of interest for hip hop but the last time I was in Japan was the early eighties. Thanks for the heads up.

06-22-14: Phd
I wonder what manufacturers from Asia that Americans seek.

I'm speaking for the vast majority of Americans. Sony, Marantz, Denon, Onkyo, etc., sell audio gear to the vast majority of Americans. In the high end scene there are Shindo, Allnic, Accuphase, Air Tight, and many, many others. I didn't even start to list the hundreds of Chinese manufacturers who sell lots of gear to Americans, or many of the phono cartridge manufacturers. Far too many to list.

And most of the Sony, Marantz, Pioneer, Denon, etc. that is sold here is Chinese (or Malaysian like most of Onkyo, which is better to me) made! I don't think Japanese high end like Accuphase and Luxman is all that big here in the US, I could be wrong though...

I don't wish to start a battle between which Asian country makes which brand of gear. My original comment was simply noting the irony that while we Americans tend to buy Asian made gear, the Asian market is buying more American made gear.
Americans tend to buy more Sony, Denon, Marantz, etc., while the Asians buy more ARC, VAC, Rowland, etc.