&gt; this articles makes it appear as if Japan was the outlier but the truth is that the US is<p>This is a typical U.S. center mentality. US is an outlier in many aspects in day-to-day life. And when American travels abroad they deem many difference they encountered as exotic things unique to that place. I heard an American tourist comment when an Italian restaurant heated the milk before serving her child - &quot;what an interesting Italian tradition&quot;, well, people all over the world avoid giving their children milk of fridge temperature.