Japanese culture's been much debated, even in the united states. There are some obvious things that can look at and go wild that must have affected the story. The proportion of old to new includes a lot more old than most places. This is by design. And their history kind of consciously shows not just how they preserve this distinctive way of life, but how trying to preserve their distinctive culture can get them in trouble.
The Asia-Pacific War of 1937-1945 has deep roots. It also involves a Japanese society that's been called one of the most distinctive on Earth. If there were a Japanese version of Captain America, this would be his origin story.