Why do so many Australians seem to be fascinated with Japan?

To give you some background, I'm from Japan. When people find out I'm Japanese, they often talk to me about things they like about Japan and things of Japanese origin that interest them.

However, much of what they say is merely their impression of Japan as a tourist, yet they speak as if they truly understand Japan.

I've discussed this with friends from other cultural backgrounds, such as China, Korea, and Thailand, and they say they rarely receive similar reactions about their own countries.

Below are some examples of things people often talk to me about:

* Public transportation and the Shinkansen:
However, these are often based solely on experiences in big cities and completely disregard the cost.

* Japanese cars:
Almost every week, someone will show me pictures of poorly maintained Japanese cars from the 2000s, expecting me to be impressed.

* Convenience stores and -196:
Every time I hear these stories, I wonder if these people can even imagine what's sold in a regular supermarket like the Japanese version of Coles.

And there are many more examples like these.