Yup. When Japan was challenging the US in the 80s, there were pervasive smear campaigns, and this was towards essentially a US vassal. It culminated in the Plaza Accords, which stagnated Japan.
Nationalism is a glorified tribalism which causes war, death by the millions but in return provides a mechanism of competition which improves/pushes human race forward. What a monstrous dichotomy!
It is both true that they stagnated and are one of the most prosperous countries. Their rate of growth was unsustainably high for a period before the 90's.
