The current postmodern era and all its implications following the general technological progress are analysed and explained by postmodernist philosophy as a school of thought separated from the previous philosophical traditions. Jean Baudrillard stands out among the postmodernists with his simulacrum theory, by which he interprets not only the contemporary cultural trends, but also the means by which mass media activity affects our comprehension of reality and the real. Western orientalism has placed before Japan challenges of articulating its own identity. In the postmodern era this very identity is now becoming a part of a wider global culture that seeks to abolish local and traditional expressions of culture by reducing them to mere signals that are to be mixed in a redefinition of culture and reality, both global and Japanese. In this manner the Hegelian end of history can be discussed, when the uniqueness of localities is being homogenized not due to superiority of one locality over another, but due to mere indifference of the global media. One example of postmodern culture is the so-called otaku culture which first came to be as an answer to the question of Japanese identity via popular culture, while today it is a part of a wider consumerist trend with all the features of a simulacrum of simulation. The traditional Japanese culture coexists with the postmodern trends and can be recognized solely outside of the mass media's sphere of influence.