This is mostly true for nationalistic American liberals. China is the opposing empire to America, while many see Japan as this "country uplifted by America." This attitude isn't new and isn't consciously held by most people that parrot it. Most don't know any better and many would accept the nuances if presented respectfully.
Empires occasionally do good when it serves their interests, while every country has serious issues they need to deal with. You can still oppose authoritarians or be a weeb without needing to ignore reality.
