China is similarly an Asian country, with demanding social roles and other struggles as well. They have significantly more people and landmass, and so, opportunity for the diversity of phenomenons like this, and yet, they are much less visible than Japan's. The difference, I think, is in PR. Whatever Japan has, they turn it into pop culture, and they use that pop culture to strengthen the idea that Japan is somehow interesting. The feeling I have about China is that they rather want to project one specific image.
So I feel it's less about how the society is structured, and more about how each country positions itself.
> and yet, they are much less visible than Japan's.
I feel that's by design. China's been more hostile to the West than Japan over the past decades than Japan/South korea. In some ways, the red scare never truly ended.
It is indeed PR, as you said. I'm sure it's even worse in China, but China wants to look like having a pristine image (due to the above situation). Japan is definitely closer to the western mentality where they would turn such a story into an episode of Hoarders or something of that vein if they could. There are indeed a dozen decently known anime based around the Hikkimori lifestyle.
So I feel it's less about how the society is structured, and more about how each country positions itself.