@SpukiKitty #89731
I would note that Japan’s 20th century imperialism was in large part born of a fear that if they didn’t become colonialists, they’d instead become a colony of Europe. (And to be fair, Portugal did have designs of that sort around the time of the Shimabara Rebellion, which I think helps explain how Tokugawa Iemitsu’s decision to close off the nation had support.) I wouldn’t be surprised if that “be mighty or be oppressed” mentality survived into post-war Japan’s economic mentality.
Much of the seeming vibrance of Japanese culture that the West sees through its pop entertainment, meanwhile, comes in large part through the LDP’s “Cool Japan” policy. (Yes, that’s really what they call it.) Create entertainment that the West (and elsewhere) will adore, and watch the royalties flow in. Although this targeting of the West meant entertainers were expected to cater to Western sensibilities—mostly American sensibilities as forged by the Red Scare et al. I’ll trust you can extrapolate.
On a side note, before Commodore Perry came calling, Japan had a more relaxed attitude towards LGB (I don’t know about any other components) than now. The current disdain is because of...you guessed it...pressures to Westernize.