Not only that...
But it docks to the US segment with the larger hatches, instead of the Russian segment like Progress & ATV. This means it can bring aboard standard equipment racks, which previously only the Shuttle could do. This is rather important because this is a standard form factor like server room racks, and lots of things like life support & recycling equipment is in that form factor.
One benefit to the berthing instead of docking is it doesn't use an expensive, heavy, and touchy automated docking system. KURS for Progress costs the Russians so much that they actually pull off to be reused. ESA wasted a ton of euros developing and testing their weird laser-based thing for ATV too, and that money could have gone to a lot better things. People already know the arm works.
Another benefit is berthing mostly isn't on a collision course, so if things go pear-shaped, it drifts on by instead of crashing into the station like that one Progress crashed into MIR.
As usual, the Japanese do it right.