First published in 1957 by the University of North Carolina Press, Bridge to the Sun gained traction with readers and achieved even wider recognition following its adaptation into a film in 1961, starring Carroll Baker and James Shigeta. Both the book and its cinematic counterpart served as cultural mediators, aiming to mend the wartime rift between the United States and Japan. This narrative, grounded in personal experience, became the precursor to a series of nonfiction works exploring Western civilians' connections with Japan during World War II.

The personal narrative approach seen in Terasaki’s work paved the way for other significant accounts such as Farewell to Manzanar (1974) by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston, which recounts the former's adolescence in a Japanese American internment camp in California. Similarly, J. G. Ballard's Empire of the Sun (1984) offers a poignant portrayal of his childhood separation from his parents in Shanghai, leading to his internment in a Japanese camp for prisoners of war. These stories contributed to a collective understanding and healing process for Americans and Japanese Americans, providing a narrative framework for processing wartime experiences as the historical distance from World War II increased.

The 1980s marked a period of burgeoning trade and cultural exchanges between the United States and Japan, prompting the reissue of Bridge to the Sun by Wakestone Books in 1986. Gwen Terasaki, residing in Tennessee, and her daughter Mariko, from her home in Wyoming, were celebrated by both nations as emblematic of the enduring bonds between them. The Terasaki family’s story stood as a testament to the roots of goodwill and was acknowledged through various commendations. The book’s reissue reached a younger generation on both sides of the Pacific, reinforcing its enduring message of peace and cooperation.

Bridge to the Sun and similar works have become integral in shaping the post-war narrative, providing readers with a nuanced understanding of the complexities of identity, allegiance, and reconciliation in the aftermath of conflict. As historical testimonies, these books not only document personal stories but also reflect broader societal shifts towards acknowledging and addressing past injustices, thus fostering a more comprehensive dialogue between nations that were once adversaries.