Comparisons with Japan may not work out with the US. Japan has basically zero immigration, negative population growth, and a strong production-based economy. We have very liberal immigration, positive population growth, and a primarily service and government-based economy. I think the USSR of the 70s/80s and possibly the UK at the end of the 19th century might be better examples but even those don’t match up very well. We are in uncharted territory.
