Western story with Japanese looks
Don't get me wrong. It is a wonderful, sweet, original, courageous piece of a movie and I enjoyed it a lot. However, it is ... very distinctly an American movie. The way the characters act is ... decidedly not Japanese (compare with any Miyazaki movie). I did wonder what is the need of... putting a Japanese sauce on a western dish. I did not feel offended... nor I think would any Japanese person - but I think the movie will not resonate too much with a Japanese audience - culturally.
On the other hand the Japanese do the same thing and no issue is raised (Porco Rosso has decidedly Japanese characters and mindset in a western setting).