The second is that Asian culture in general is VERY VERY detail oriented, and so people tend to make very small distinctions between two different things.
I love LOVE this about Japan. They can take something and OCD the heck out of it. For example, I have a plastic container from Muji that has a lid that doubles as a measuring cup. BRILLIANT! This container is likely to have sugar, rice, beans, etc., so it makes absolute sense to have a measuring cup readily available.
I like how you mention that to the untrained eye, Japanese festivals look the same, when in reality they're anything but. Great article!