Aren't Japanese nationalists?
Western games and consoles doesn't have a chance against japanese consumers.
So, if they can't stand western products why Mario is so non Japanese?

1. Mario, Luigi - I'm assuming they are Italian plumbers
2. Princes Peach lives in European castle (it looks almost like Disney castle)
3. Name one track in MK8 placed in Japan (Sunshine Airport? N64 Toad's Turnpike?)?
(the same story as Sonic generations - all stages are either fictional or European/Western themed)

Only Bowser reminds Chinese/Japanese dragon.

Why, o why there's never any Japanese theme in Mario games? (any shrines?) I mean: Any clues, eh?

It is considered fun to use stereotypes and Mario games are fun.

That is an extremely good question ... Japanese people maybe nationalistic but media's such as games are also art forms too but it's common to see a lot of designers being exposed to other cultures so that maybe the reason why Mario got the whole European thing going on.

Well the Mario/DK world was always based on western culture. Despite Nintendo winning a law suite case against them, there's no denying the fact that the original Donkey Kong arcade game was inspired by King Kong. Where the Italian plumber thing comes from is anyone's guess. Nintendo is an enigma, wrapped in a mystery, wrapped in a woman's train of thought, and then wrapped in another enigma.

It sure has made them a lot of money though.

When Mario gets a star he makes the victory sign with his fingers. When piranha flowers are sleeping you can see big bubbles. These are very characteristic of japanese animation. There are plenty of ways to express the culture of Japan even using european characters. You're just looking at it in a restricted point of view.

Because Europeans are the best, my friend...

Italians invented pipes Ancient Rome invented plumbing, that's why

SMB 3 had the Tanooki Suit, which was mercifully devoid of the massive bollocks Tanukis are sometimes depicted with.

On the subject of statues, pressing down + B when wearing the Tanooki Suit would make Mario transform into a little stone statue, which is sometimes known as a Jizo.

There was an asian inspired level in mario 3d world!
But yeah.... there really isnt a lot!

Miyamoto:

“As a kid, I was a big comic fan and I liked foreign comics as well. So I drew some characters that had more western type features with a little bigger noses and what not. Now with Mario, I think with Mario Bros. we had a setting of course that was underground, so I just decided Mario is a plumber. Let’s put him in New York and he can be Italian. There was really no other deep thought other than that.”

Read more at http://nintendoeverything.com/miyamoto-explains-why-mario-is-italian/


So he thinks Italians live in New York..

Mario is Italian, lol.