> I suspect that in the long grind to "polish your work", there's a simply tendency to remove all these "empty feeling" spots more than to "trim the fat".

I think it's interesting that "Japanese design" in almost every other area hints at a certain functional minimalism, that stands in stark contrast to these sites. I mean sites like, ironically enough, the Css Zen Garden (http://www.csszengarden.com/), highlight the western perception of their design principles: lots of white space, consistent design, minimalism.

White space is luxury for the eyes.