Understanding a language and speaking a language are 2 very different things.
I speak Japanese...after a fashion. I speak survival Japanese at best, and I use those skills on a regular basis to interact with Japanese people
I understand, even if mostly subconciously a large amount of Japanese. It's very much the same as the bi-lingual kids whose parents speak to them in one language and they answer in another.
Speaking a language is far different than hearing and understanding it
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To get to your point, other countries, like those in Scandanavia, rely heavily upon British and American tourists. Japan is a Nation which is not vastly dependant upon tourism as they are leaders in many industries, thusly relations with english speaking tourists is not as great a necessity.
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I think you'll find that there are a large number of English speaking tourists and businesspeople in Japan at any one time. Australian and New Zealander tourists. British tourists are all over the place. The hotel I stayed in on New Year's Eve, I didn't see a single Japanese guest. This is a MAJOR hotel on Japan's most important holiday