Apparently Google can't win no matter what it does.
I am shocked by the Japanese HR practices
"But Google failed to judge how its offering would be received, as it has often done in Japan."
That bit isn't expanded on. How else has Google "mis-stepped" in Japan?
From the article: After cool responses to privacy issues raised about its Street View feature, which shows ground-level pictures of Tokyo neighborhoods taken without warning or permission, the company has faced strong public criticism and government hearings.