i think a big part of it is that they are an industrialized nation that seems to have modernized in a positive way and without losing all of their uniqueness in pursuit of becoming another utterly bland and inoffensive global commerce hub.
i personally have a great deal of admiration for the japanese because they have managed to embrace & preserve their traditions and artisanship across centuries
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WC1-sTIbDQc&
while also leading the world technologically
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AiYirZPwIs
and not to mention they are still building giant cool things, a style of monumentalism which the western world seems to have largely abandoned
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIucUB23zZ4&