[tmtvl]

Go wasn't around when D was released and Java has for the longest time been quite horrible (I first learnt it before diamond inference was a thing, but leaving that aside it's been overly verbose and awkward until relatively recently).

[tpoacher]

Is Java even a "systems programming" language?

I don't even know what that term means anymore; but afaik Java didn't really have reliable low-level APIs until recently.

[pjmlp]

Depends if one considers writing compilers, linkers, JITs, database engines, and running bare metal on embedded real time systems "systems programming".

[tpoacher]

so, "yes", but with added sarcasm? :D