Most Japanese people don't read English written newspapers. But the Japanese media sometimes report what the Western media cover. It also report how the Western media cover Japan. That has influence on Japanese people. A recent case that gain Japanese people's much attention is a Washington Post's column. A WP's columnist Al Kamen wrote "increasingly loopy Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama" on April 14, 2010. The word "loopy" became well-know among most Japanese people.
Today the Western media affect Japanese people significantly. It has been admiring Japanese people's resilience, stoicism, gaman, etc. Many Japanese media reported that. And a lot of Japanese people read the coverage and gain their confidence. But unfortunately, I heard that recent coverage by the Western media turn to criticism of Japanese government handling of nuclear plants.
I've sometimes read and heard a phrase "Ganbaro Nippon" (Try hard, Japan) in Japan. For example, popular TV personalities say to viewers, "Ganbaro Nippon." That is a catchline Japanese people make to encourage themselves. Japanese people try to unit together to overcome the national crisis.
On the other hand, "jishuku" is becoming prevalent. Jishuku means self-restraint. Most Japanese people think it's indiscreet to enjoy oneself when fellow country men face severe difficulties. I guess peer pressure, which is a characteristic of Japanese people, also involve jishuku atmosphere. But there's also a growing consensus that excessive jishuku weaken Japanese economy.
