Say, Where Are The Japanese Young Men At?

This New York Times Magazine article on a new Japanese phenomenon that witnesses thousands of young men locking themselves into their rooms for months left me with many questions. One in particular was a statement the writer makes that "in Japan, where uniformity is still prized and reputations and outward appearances are paramount, rebellion comes in muted forms" such as this self-imposed isolation. Many of the other posited reasons for the phenomenon seem plausible (macroeconomic stagnation, increased pressure on youth to succeed, etc.), but this one left me puzzled. Is it true? My impression was that it was cool to rebel in modern Japanese society. I know next to nothing about Japanese culture, but I know some of you out there -- or your parents, at least -- do. It's an interesting article about an interesting moment at the very least.