> It's a blessing that people can pursue things like this, and it's a huge shame that Japan is such an anal when it comes to a marginally illegal activity in an open space.

I've noticed spillover effects into Japanese gamers as well -- people being suspicious of or derisive about mods, even when they're perfectly legal and the game has built-in mod support (looking at you Monster Hunter World).

My (Japanese) girlfriend is on the very conservative side of the spectrum there and absolutely hates it when I bring up any kind of modding, and so do her friends -- the culture of "authorial intent is king" is very strangely strong for a culture that also appreciates and enjoys doujin.