As in any time period, people are nostalgic for the past, especially when Japan's borders were opened (against their will) you're going to have that kind of rea

As in any time period, people are nostalgic for the past, especially when Japan's borders were opened (against their will) you're going to have that kind of reaching towards better days of 'ole. Sakura-colored glasses. There's also the art of Japan (and everywhere else). Art idealizing the "history" depicted, curators of that art (many of those part of religious institutes) and history communicating the history narrative, furthering the legend. It's a group effort this ruse of history. When the narrative sounds good and doesn't really contradict any other popular opinion, who is going to argue against it? 160 years later, here we are.