Vinyl cleanliness

It's also static; you can't get rid of it completely.
Japanese vinyl is usually very quiet.

Bad quality vinyl will pop and click brand new even if cleaned with an RCM. It's because the vinyl itself is contaminated and there is nothing you can do to remove what's embedded in the pressing. I do have many albums that sound incredibly quiet, however, so it is possible. Most surface noise probably comes from damage done by incorrect set-up or simple carelessness. Part of the hobby, if you ask me, and well worth it.

Almost all of the new albums I buy (acoustic sounds reissues, etc) have been absolutely dead quiet. The old stuff that I originally bought and took care of (over 40 years) - no ticks and pops (or very few) but some surface noise. Others given to me by friends who never took care of them - very, very noisey no matter how well cleaned.

My new vinyl records, even after 10 - 20 plays - are as quiet as digital. My surface noise on older ones and everything else in general was greatly reduced and on the new discs totally eliminated when I received the VPI Periphery Ring.

Several of my older Deutsche Grammophone records that I bought in the 70s are defect free and still very quiet after all these years. Only one or two in my rock collection could I say are defect free.