As an Asian, I can say the two people in the previous page who was talking about "silly whiteys who don't understand Asians" are stupid (assuming they weren't joking).
First of all, "aishiteru" and "suki" are relatively new expressions in Japanese. Back in Souseki's day, they don't have them. They do have "suki" back then but it was used more in the sense of "I like that candy" rather than "I have romantic love for you". Couples simply do not verbally express their love, otherwise they're seen as crude, unintelligent. "Tsuki ga kirei desu ne" was the accepted way of saying "I love you" because it's indirect, poetic and vague enough for Japanese sensibility back then. Nowadays with globalization, Japanese are becoming more and more open, thus the wider usage of suki in romantic setting as well as the appearance of aishiteru.
Secondly, we Asians shout stuff before chopping a wooden block has nothing to do with hurt or pain. It's a war cry. Do you hipsters not have war cry in your culture? The thing you shout while running towards your enemy to cut them up? It elevates adrenaline level, make us braver and more focused. The Chinese-origin explanation of "directing the chi" was the ancient understanding of this adrenaline manipulation technique. Outside of raising morale and improving focus, secondary benefits include scaring off the enemies (if at war), drawing attention of the audiences (if performing), relieving pain (due to high adrenaline).