I answered yes.
However, I have a greater than average "understanding" of the Japanese hara than the average gaijin. There are a great many reasons that this flower bloomed where it did. While it is entirely valid to say that Aikido is based purely on principles and techniques, there is another ethereal level that is hidden there.
Hmm, how about an analogy with chess. I sit and analyze a master's game. It's quite easy nowadays to use a computer to analyze the entire game. But after studying the master, his/her life, the time the game was played, etc. you start to see deeper into the art of chess and realize that it's not just principles and tacticts, but an ART.
So, while you don't need to be Japanese to understand Aikido, understanding where it came from and the society that blossomed that flower will ultimately help in the understanding of Aikido.