Personal growth experience only in Japan?

A recent post by a newcomer, TheMuggleWriter1997, really got me thinking about personal and professional growth. And it made me look back on my experiences here. Has Japan made me grow?

When I asked a 先輩 sempai, a European who arrived in his early 20s, if I could interview him about how Japan shaped his experience, he offered a thoughtful and thought-provoking answer. He said that he simply grew into adult life, as he would have in his native country. He found his groove as he built family ties, worked with community organizations and government, and established his own business. All admirable achievements. But was he discounting the impact of Japan on his trajectory? 

His answer made me think back on my own history pre-Japan. When I was a kid, my parents enrolled me in a workshop with a newspaper cartoonist and we got featured in the news. Here in Japan, I’ve periodically appeared in the media. Later, I worked in the tourism industry and the field of English language education in Canada. Here in Japan, I carry on, participating in municipal and prefectural community organizations related to tourism and language education. My interaction with the community here is much like I would have experienced back home. 

The one aspect of my experience here that is different from my home country is working with other foreign nationals. You might think, wait! Canada’s constitution enshrines multiculturalism. This is true, so Canadians participate in many different cultures and languages in daily life. However, most of my coworkers, friends, and neighbours were Canadians, either born in the country or immigrants.

I've adopted some practices of my colleagues, Japanese friends, and neighbours, but I see these habits as performative. Maybe I underestimate how much picking up customs and traditions can change how the newcomer thinks...

Did your trajectory in Japan present growth experiences you could not have had in your home country? Are there career or personal growth experiences that you could only have here in Japan?