Taste is a personal matter, so I won't debate you but will tell you why I like Hamaguchi.
I love Tarkovski, but do not find Hamaguchi in the same approach or "school".
My perception of his long takes is the opposite of yours. They are not "meaning laden".
Rather, Hamaguchi is gazing. Similar to what Terrence Malick does where he's just looking at grass or the sky or someone walking.
Several other directors fall in that school of being contemplative. For example, Jim Jarmusch has some long shots of Tilda Swinton walking, with no ulterior significance than the pleasure he takes in them. And I'm all for it.
Now, saying Tarkovski is more welcoming to the "average" viewer than Hamaguchi … well depends what you mean by "average"