A pet theory of mine is that they get so much attention because the Japanese held onto feudalism far longer than the colonial powers. As such, the colonial repr

A pet theory of mine is that they get so much attention because the Japanese held onto feudalism far longer than the colonial powers. As such, the colonial representatives attached some romanticism to Japan and the Samurai. I think that's a part of it. I think that the other commenter is also correct in that the "far east" has some kind of romantic draw in the western mind. There's something compelling about people who would willingly die before violating their principles. Even if I don't like it, even if I don't agree with it, I can respect it. Even when we were at war with Japan, there was a kind of grudging respect. Sure, they were dehumanized in the wartime propaganda and depicted as incompetent or inept in our media, the west was so terrified of them that we interned American citizens who were as little as 1/4 Japanese.