I think nobody tries to suggest you can learn Japanese just with Anki cards. You use it to learn a part of the language which needs repetition-based learning, while learning other parts of the language - and experience indeed is a very important focus of that learning process.

Also nobody tries to suggest you can learn programming by practicing language keywords.

So I don't understand what is the problem. We knew this all along, we are using learning by experience for as long as I can remember, nobody even thought of reducing learning to Anki cards.

The education system does reduce learning to memorizing some facts, dates and formulas.

I don't think so. I have never seen e. g. a math class without practice. Some practice is more theoretical, but there is practice.

Rote memorization is indeed not very useful, but the memorization of connected knowledge which you can build on top is essential for learning and creativity

(In Greek mythology Mnemosyne, goddess of memory, is the mother of the muses, goddesses of creativity)