Hate the term "in the West", especially as applied here. No, it's not a thing to say in all of the "West". It's some parts. I'm not saying the comparison doesn't work in other places. I'm saying that specifically between Japanese "spark" and English "chemistry", saying "the West" is lazy.
And yes, I know other languages have it as the equivalent word for chemistry, such as química. It's still a lazy thing to say unless it applies to the whole "West".