Well, I have a story that's the quite opposite? I guess?
It's from an acquaintance of mine, so take what you will.
I mean, I'm just a random person on the internet. Who knows, everything I write here could be a lie. But I digress.
So his family moved to Japan when he was in his second year of high school. (this was over 10 years ago, I think? Should be)
In his first month at his new school, he got close to a girl. He developed a crush on her. He thought everything was going well.
They even went out on a date once, though I'm not entirely clear on that part. I guess they watched a movie together or something.
The following week, he asked her out/wanting to confirm that they were dating.
But not in the typical Japanese confession style. He just casually asked: we're together, right?
Long story short, she turned him down. My boy was a bit confused, wondering why she rejected him.
Then his friends explained that he was being too hasty. They say in Japan, you have to go through the steps according to the "rules". You know, there's valentines, Christmas, and all those events. And only then you can have your confession.