He has some valid points but most of it is just random non Japan related crap.
-You don't have to live in Japan to have a hard time being a vegan/vegetarian. his example with bread is exactly the same here (Netherlands) with a few exceptions but then you pay 5 times as much for the bread.
- They have non smoking sections? Over here Smoking is banned but every cafe etc ignores the ban, they have ashtrays on all of the tables and everyone is free to do as they please, at least there you'll have a place where you are not confronted by this.
- They rearrange stores? So what? again same here, it's called marketing, they place products that do not sell enough up front in an effort to get people to buy them.
- He starts off complaining that he liked the fact Japan had certain morals and values where people were polite, they stress that out in Japan, again so what? over here we have people beating up old folks who walk down the street. I'd rather have someone who forces himself to be polite to others than someone who is downright rude.
- The stereo type problem, don't we all have it? Racism and discrimination is abundant people do what they see fit to keep their own sense of security safe.
- The slot machine problem, the US has an entire city dedicated to it. It's called Vegas, other countries have similar places, people love to throw away their money with the false sense that they might be the lucky one to win the jackpot.
The problem I have with his article is that his problems are so general you can find them in every culture in the world in some form, his final note on how life is a game is simply true. If he cannot play by the rules then he should change them instead of complaining about them. Whining about stuff like that never led to anything.
And I guess I'll stop there before my post becomes as long as his.