Initially I didn't mind those smells and sounds in Asia (it's anywhere not just Japan). But unless you're born there they become annoying quickly, especially if you can smell things and hear public transit in your flat. And because it's a BBC report it's for sure for western audience who was not born there.

> Fundamentally though this is a common American attitude. Look at something that's new and different and say "This would be bad for these reasons"

Among the other bits of wrongness in your comment this is spectacular. Americans are utterly addicted to novelty.

Japan being a well functioning society is not "new and different".