For the English release, most of this was either replaced with an American equivalent, exoticized, or removed altogether, with an end goal of creating an experience for English speakers that was culturally analogous to what Japanese speakers encountered in the Japanese versions. The English release of the game is notable for being a massive overhaul from the Japanese releases, which were based heavily in Japanese culture, right down to featuring a number of obstinately Japan-centric elements such as holidays and paraphernalia.
