I think the author's location skews their perspective. Kyoto is quite different culturally to the big cities, and you'll find the same kind of "individualism" that you find in Western cities in Tokyo etc. By "individualism" I mean the poisoned kind where you're defined by the articles-of-self you've purchased, whether it's a Gucci bag on your shoulder, a collection of charms dangling from your wrist, where you go to eat and what phone you have as opposed to the form of individualism which is to define yourself by what you do and how you conduct yourself.
I've lived in Kyoto and Tokyo and tend to agree with you there. Although people outside of Tokyo are much friendlier in general. Which is the same of most big cities/areas outside of them.
