It's hard to admit to our faults and mistakes. I'm sure they are well-meaning most of the time. [He does not give people the benefit of the doubt often. If anything he's saying it more for her benefit than his actual belief.]

It was in a time when Japan wished to be closed off from the world, so many things that were not traditional, or from an outside influence, were banned. [He's from a time when that was changing, thankfully.] Ah...no. None that I know of at least.

He is the more outgoing of the two of us, so it is certainly likely.