I do not know much about Japanese education system in general (I used translated version of the problems) but from what I observe in their challenge math proble

I do not know much about Japanese education system in general (I used translated version of the problems) but from what I observe in their challenge math problems used for admission into selective schools and creative output in other industries like popular mangas, the culture clearly values creativity. The emphasis on skill mastery is most likely there and popularized in the US and globally by Kumon which might skew the perception somewhat. The component which I am unsure if they emphasize enough is the understanding of math concepts, which is possibly a strength of American math education relative to Asia from what I see from textbooks for training American teachers. I would appreciate more insight from others here.