I tried looking into Japanese sites to see what they think etc.
most "How to get good at illustration" will tell you to practice fundamentals, life drawings, copying (using construction etc.)
http://moeillust.net/blog-entry-6871.htmlbut I think what stands out to me is the encouraging tone these people give out. It might be because of my limited japanese, but the thread comments I see are just straight to the point, and will tell you if the drawing is good or bad. They will mostly tell OP (if they aren't assholes) to have fun with studying.
I think people misinterpret japan as "whipping the horse" to their workers (people who want to get better at anything whether its a hobby or job). From thee forums I've seen, they seem to "use the carrot on the horse" to encourage them to work more.
/ic/'s japanese.
http://moeillust.net 
