Generally speaking I'm right there with you, but thrown by your use of Japanese cars as an example of underdamping. I haven't driven a lot of European cars, but compared to most offerings from Detroit Japanese damping is fantastic. I've driven late model cars by two of the big three that felt like they forgot to put dampers in at all, you just bounce and float around on the springs. I assume this (combined with size) is why American cars are so often referred to as "boats".