I would think, actually, that the type of Japanese manufactured bikes that myself and others like are quite uncommon in Japan. "Grandmother" looking bikes are much more common for commuting and hauling stuff, just like here in Sweden.

The two reason I like Japanese road bikes from the 1970's and 1980's are (1) the quality and craftsmanship employed in the factories and (2) they were following a lot of the standards that you see today in terms of sizing and threading and whatnot, so you can often use modern replacement parts without too much trouble. Sometimes the budget level components from Japan were so good that this becomes a moot point. A lot of the better Schwinns, actually, were made in Japan and Taiwan. My thoughts on Taiwan from about 1980 onward are very much the same.

That said, my favorite riding bike is an English Carlton from 1967, with a variety of old and new parts, and I am getting a lot of happiness riding my weird Finnish city bike all over the cobblestones.