Jay,

I don't doubt the Japanese tradition is more extensive and richer. I just thought I'd let you know a little about some of the planing practices I know.

These hings we can take back at least to the 1300's

As for pulling a plane/gouge.

We have an interesting little tool, kind of like the English Scorp. It's essentially a gouge with the blade turned around. It has a looped blade on the end of a short handle. You use it for the same purpose many would use a gouge for, only it's pulled and not pushed. We just call it a scorp now, I'm sure it used to be called another name (because it's old, and didn't come from England)