Comment by GolDDranks

I've been living in Japan for more than 9 years. I think that the author is right in the sense that people in Japan seem to care more. Of course, the stress is on the word "seem". Some people truly care, but there is also the cultural expectation that you should care. I don't know if realising that counts as the "shine that will wear off", but it seems to not a bad default.