[synthc]

Yes this is an excellent example of different cultures and ecosystems.

In Python a library like requests is a thin abstraction over http calls it is very easy to understand what is going on and get started.

In Java, there is a tendency to wrap everything so it fits with a framework and is super generic and configurable. For example look at the Feign library.

Each approach has its pro's and cons, but knowing both of them good as it allows you to pick the right solution for different use cases.

About getting into java: i'd recommend using Spring Boot. I provides a low abstraction http client (RestTemplate) that allows for straightforward calls to REST services.