There are now inexpensive Japanese-style knives from China. I have a couple of surprisingly well-made Xinzuo-branded knives, each under $50.
From what I know Chinese copies focus more on the VG10-like steels.
Seems like some VG10-equivalent from various pages advertising it
It's sad that the market is flooded with high-performance stainless steels which are inherently worse and more expensive, just because the average person is afraid of rust and knife maintenance.