Followers of Shinto, unlike Judeo-Christian monotheists and the Greeks before them That's a funny way to divide up the world into us and them. It looks more like us == Japan and them == US. The writer seems to miss out the Roman influence that might traditionally be shoehorned into the "western" God Squad history. Not to mention a dalliance with dollops of assorted "pagan" traditions and mythology.
To be fair, I consider this sort of thing as a form of national pride which should be respected when listened to but needs careful consideration. Bear in mind I come from the country that can play "Land of Hope and Glory" or "Jerusalem" without flinching.
The feedback loop between some Japanese people arguing that Japanese culture is unique in some fundamental and unique way amongst all other human culture, and non Japanese people lapping it up, is a little insane.
p.s.: I used to work for a Japanese company, I have first hand experience :)
Their society is inscrutable and profoundly weird to you, (I presume) an anglophone westerner. To a Chinese, Thai, or Korean, their society isn’t that inscrutable or weird.
The French culture I grew up in is as inscrutable and weird to the Japanese as the Japanese culture is to you, I can guarantee :)