Japanese devs and multiplayer

I've been just wondering, do typical Japanese productions not so much aimed at the Western market (so NOT games like Dead Rising, Lost Planet, etc.) contain multiplayer modes? And is multiplayer gaming in Japan popular (on consoles, not Starcraft on PC or whatever) at all??

I just came across this article btw where Cliffy B states his thoughts on the matter:

http://www.nohighscores.com/2012/05/14/bleszinski-japanese-devs-must-not-ignore-multiplayer/

EX Troopers is another recent example.

Well Demon Souls had one of the most revolutionary multiplayer systems this gen.