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Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine whether differences exist between young American and Japanese consumers' green consumption behaviors. Design/methodology/approach A conceptual framework is formulated based on five constructs: independent self-construal (INDE), attitude toward green advertising, self-expression and brand-familiarity to measure purchase intention. Data were collected from 266 Americans and 199 Japanese consumers. The structural equation model was used to test and compare hypothesized relationships between the proposed constructs for the two countries. Findings The results reveal that the moderating effects of self-construal patterns on brand familiarity and self-expression help explain Americans' green consumption decisions. The results from the US sample also confirm that both self-construal patterns guide young Americans' green consumption behaviors. Japanese green consumption behaviors are influenced by their dominant interdependent self-construal. They used a context-dependent thinking mode to process advertising and brand information. Research limitations/implications Using Gen-Z consumers may limit the generalizability of this study. The results may not be representative of or applicable to other demographic groups. As age was controlled in this research, similar studies need to be replicated with various segments of green consumers to validate the relationships identified in this study. In addition, to raise the external validity of this research, future researchers may replicate this study by comparing countries other than the two under examination in this study. Practical implications For practical implications, marketing communication programs may focus on social interaction strategies by using content or influencer marketing on social media to raise brand awareness. To appeal to Americans' self-expressive values, brand communication may focus on a personalized message that conveys the positive image of green product users. Use both traditional media and digital media to engage with Japanese consumers. To appeal to Japanese collectivist values, the ad message may emphasize the positive effects of the brand and its products on contributing to the well-being of society. Social implications This study detects no evidence of an increase in individualism in Japanese consumers' green consumption behaviors. The results show that consumers' attitudes and behaviors toward green marketing cues are consistently guided by their dominant self-construal patterns and situational factors could activate either self within their self-schema. This also supports the notion that aspects of culture are changeable depending on varying situations. Originality/value This study provides evidence that self-construal types influence young American and Japanese consumers' green consumption behaviors. This is the first research to demonstrate that brand-familiarity can be a group identifier for consumers with different cultural orientations.