Japanese (pull) plane or Western (push) plane for a first buy?

This is the most contested question in the source pool. r/JapaneseWoodworking and r/handtools threads agree Japanese kanna like the Kakuri offer excellent steel and a smooth finish for the price, but every thread also warns about the setup learning curve: the dai (wooden body) needs conditioning, the blade is a wedge fit, and there's no chip breaker adjuster. Beginners with no mentor are more often steered to a Western block plane first.