Backchanneling is not exclusive to Japanese, but overuse in other languages can be perceived as rude and a sign of inattentiveness. You need to experience a casual Japanese conversation to realize how prevalent it is [1]. After my stint there, people noticed how much I backchannel even in my other languages.

[1] https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/language-in-society/...

"The findings reveal that backchannels of several types are displayed far more frequently by Japanese listeners."