The same can be said in reverse for Japanese people on how they see the Western world: Do they assume the USA is like Hollywood or the UK being like British Television? They perhaps assume that all Americans live in a large home with a white picket fence depicting a nuclear family as if its 1950.
All they talk about US is California or New York since most movies and TV shows use either as their main setting. Is the US in real life similar to Hollywood (everyone having a nice car, big home & white picket fence)? That’s the kind of response from non-Japanese assuming Japan is like anime.
Because the Japanese government has invested in spreading that image of Japan specifically:
Kawaii: Anime, Propaganda, and Soft Power Politics
A nation’s government is involved in its exports, including media. Conscious, intentional choices are made about which media is exported, some media are subsidized by the government to help them spread further, and some are produced directly at the government’s direction for the sake of export. This is often done under the guise of an arts program, but by putting their finger on the scale the government adjusts the image which they present to the rest of the world.
The projection of Japan being like anime is a choice that has been made fairly consistently for the past 30 years, or rather a whole laundry list of choices, a policy of crafted international presentation.
Some anime also seem to be sponsored by some tourist board (probably mostly aimed at a domestic audience), e.g. all the slice of life hiking animes.
And Zombieland Saga. Iirc they got money from Saga prefecture