If I’m undersanding you right, you’re talking about Truck Driver’s Gear Shift (warning: tvtropes), a trope that used to be common in western pop until about two decades ago.
I can’t find any data to suggest that semitone key changes (as opposed to whole tone or more) are more common in Japan than in western pop, but it shows up a lot, across genres.
Do You Know the Way to San Jose? by Dionne Warwick:
Surrender by Cheap Trick (technically two key changes, but only one that acts like anime OPs and japanese pop):
San Sebastian by Sonata Arctica
Thong Song by Sisqo (no, really)