[erdo]

I think that's just the good old ambiguity of the English language, I read it as: western civilization being oddly similar to Japanese civilisation (I'm a British native, but I don't claim to be any kind of arbiter of the English language!)

[Aeolun]

This interpretation works. It’s certainly the spirit of what I was trying to convey ;)

[pilaf]

Ah, that makes a lot more sense. Thanks.