Having spent some time in Japan and knowing many Japanese folks and many Western folks who have lived and worked in Japan a long time, my impression is that Japan is (like many East Asian countries) obsessed with looking perfect.

It often means actually nearly perfect (on some axis, at least in Japan, but with clear ‘acceptable’ issues on others), but coverups, suppressing inconvenient facts, oppressing or exiling troublesome elements, etc. all happen too.

Folks call it ‘face’, and it isn’t unique to East Asia, but it is very pronounced in Japan.

Japan also being an island and very culturally homogenous, makes it possible to take it to real extremes not doable elsewhere, and it can be a very oppressive environment if you don’t fit in (and are trying to do so).

If you’re ok with being treated as a foreign curiosity, everyone is very friendly and helpful.

With everything tightening the screws lately (Covid, economy, etc), it’s another example (like the attempted subway gassings) of something slipping out of control and blowing up where it can’t be swept under the rug.