Given the general trend of Japanese developers to be very set in their ways and views, and to be quietly prejudiced this way, I find this comment very surprising only by the fact that it's something he outright said. It's always been pretty clear he preferred a more open, Western style of development even in the Xenogears days with how the plots go.
And I'm not taking any shot at Japanese games with any of the above comment. I genuinely enjoy many Japanese games. I just think it's simply interesting that he bucks the usual trend so openly, and I think his games thrive for that reason. That's very true of other devs too, like From Software in recent years.
You should check out my YouTube channel, The Golden Bolt! I review all types of video games, both classic and modern, and I also give short flyover reviews of the free games each month on PlayStation Plus to tell you if they're worth downloading. After all, the games may be free, but your time is valuable!
