Why is Japan on a last name basis with honorifics?

Okay, to those people who speak, know, or are Japanese, here's a question for you. Being someone who watches a fair amount of anime and J-dramas, I've noticed that most people call each other by their family name, except for family members and super close friends. On top of that, they add the honorific -san or -kun or -chan, or something along those lines. I've always wondered, where did this stem from and what is the cultural significance? I know Japan (and many other East Asian countries) is a country that places heavy emphasis on politeness and respect, along with age, experience, and social status, but my question is, why didn't this concept carry over to western countries? For example, high school or college students in Japan who meet for the first time introduce themselves with last names first, and go on to refer to each other by last name, with an honorific. However, in western countries, we introduce ourselves usually with our first names, and continue to refer to each other by first names even after just meeting, usually forgetting to mention our last names to the new friend whatsoever. Then in Japan, they have the significant "you can call me by my first name" thing, which signifies process in the relationship/friendship between 2 people, but this doesn't exist in the states, which I find very curious. Doesn't this create some kind of barrier in the relationship between people if they have to "graduate" to using first names? Some Japanese may even find it hard to adjust to the new habit of calling each other by first name, something that comes as natural habit to most Americans. In the states, many workplaces are also on a first name basis, even between people in lower and superior positions, while in Japan (and maybe other countries) they use last names only in the workplace. It is even considered rude and insulting to refer to higher-ups by first name, while in America it seems normal. I feel that this creates a kind of awkward tension between workers when this mistake is made, while in America such a mistake is usually just brushed aside. Does this mean that America is generally more friendly in social relationships, or that we aren't polite or strict enough like the Japanese? I mean, if you go to a local Best Buy or something similar, all workers have name tags displaying their first name only, while Japan may be different.

And then there's the question of honorifics. I've always wanted to know if equivalents of Japanese honorifics exist in the English language, since honorifics always intrigued me. I know there is the usual Mr., Mrs., Ms, Dr. and Professor, but many of these are used in educational settings. I even call my doctor by his first name, while most Japanese use the term "sensei." A few of my college professors even prefer to go by first name, which I think is rare in East Asian countries. Apparently people older than you or are more experienced than you in a certain field always deserve an honorific of some sort, which makes sense. But some people in the states have decided to cast that away completely and say "just call me______", while it is rare in Japan. Why is this? Are Americans more rude, or just more friendly? Also, students and young people around the same age even use honorifics with each other, such as san, kun, or chan, while American students just call each other by first name only, and usually don't know the last names of other students unless they ask. OK, I know this isn't always the truth, but just observations that I've made when experiencing Japanese culture through movies, TV shows, etc.

I guess the ultimate question is, why is the American system the way it is, and why is the Japanese system the way it is? And why didn't American adopt the Japanese name-calling system, or vice versa? I'm sorry if this came across as racist or discriminating, but I am genuinely curious and interested.