Most (if not all?) of the transit in Tokyo is private. When you build densely enough, transit becomes highly profitable on its own, and someone will do it.
Public-private partnership is not so "specific to Japan". The transit/retail connection is definitely a uniquely bright idea but it's something that many other jurisdictions could emulate.
Having that work is specific to Japan. If there is a single example of someone managing to do that successfully, especially with multiple companies, I would like to hear about it. Transit/retail or rail plus property is used in other places, like Hong Kong, but with government owned operators.
The end to end control over development of these networks+districts was still more centralized, though not by a government, compared to the rather uncoordinated mess that has been US public transit development.
From what I've seen if you build the infrastructure it doesn't change residents attitude to increased density. Actually makes them more opposed as they now have very good public services compared to elsewhere and they don't want to lose it.
