I'm no follower. So I ask if this is the line for X. I actually get joy at the Longs I go to. There is a line marker set up movie theater style. About 5 self check out and 1 human register. Almost all the time there is a line, I see 1 or no people at the self check out, even though the open light is on at the top of them. The lone cashier is ringing someone up. So I just bypass everyone and go to the self check out. Then the light bulb goes on and people follow. This could be seen as a dick move, but not my problem they cannot figure stuff out.
What does irritate me about Jap tourist is they do not know how to wait at a crosswalk for the light to change. Many are often waiting on the road, just off the curb. And they like to stand in the middle of clothing store walk ways, even when not looking at clothes. Dated a chick that worked at Abercrombie and walking into the store to where she was, always had Jap tourist in the way. But they are very apologetic when you say excuse me. "Sumimasen...sumimasen" with the head nod for each time the word was said is their reply.
I learned my first month in Hawaii about Japanese etiquette when in public. On the sidewalks of Waikiki, they just walk straight toward their destination. If they bump into someone, there's no "Excuse me", "Sorry" or any other apology.
Then I went to Tokyo. Ten times more crowded than Waikiki. If they apologized every time they bumped into someone, they'd never get anywhere! Crowded conditions basically turned them into automatons (robots) when in public trying to get somewhere. That attitude carries over when they come here apparently.
They might nod when you say "Excuse me" to get past them, but they wouldn't bat an eye if you brushed past them without a word, as that's the norm.
Different strokes ....
As for following people for no reason ... My mom used to wear a T-Shirt that said, "Don't follow me. I'm lost, too!" We got her that because she had this knack about causing lines to form. At the county fair, she'd pick a ride or exhibit because nobody was in line for it. As soon as she got in line, there would be 10-15 more people lined up behind her. It happened pretty much every time. She asked one of the ride operators if they'd consider paying her a percentage of the ride's revenue if she'd keep lining up to ride!

So, yeah. Nobody in line -- less chance anyone will come over to wait. Put a few people in line, and others will think there must be a good reason to be there.