very interesting overview, for me Japan has always been innovative in technology, and there is no surprise it is going to lead the crypto development.
I have relatives living in Japan, cryptos are getting more popular there, however it is still the beginning since a lot of people have no idea about what it is, similar as France where I am from.
Therefore it think it is a good time to get onboard, i got few alts and BTC of course, and have invested as well in MONA, since few months I am reading (getting translation from japanese friends) more and more articles, and they are talking about 5000 yen (44usd) per unit of MONA on a mid term probably in 2018.
Some people are already thinking about the Olympics in 2020, and if the crypto acceptance is still moving that fast there until then, there is no reason it will expand to other countries.
Among the comments, somebody was saying he will not focus on a crypto targeting one country. I don't agree, since first Japan is really active in the Asian area, and is followed by more countries, and Japan is exporting more than importing and will therefore have impact worldwide.
I believe in the crypto as asset and it seems these are keepers
I always felt that Japan's moves - official and unofficial - would be the blueprint for the rest of the world to follow. What surprised me was that not more countries, especially the neighbours and regional governments, picked up in the same directions, given that early success appears to be on the horizon. I think they have come a long way from dealing with the shock of Mt Gox, to giving legitimacy to Bitcoin and now surreptitiously aiding its use and adoption.
But time will tell if what they've done is enough. I appreciate the sentiments of those like Koji Higashi who believe not enough is done, and that the regulations so far are will fail if put to the test. But at least there will be a benchmark to test!