This news article explores the increasing stress and anxiety among Chinese youngsters over the societal pressure of "Shoukatsu," or forced marriage. As China experiences demographic changes, largely due to its previous one-child policy, there is an increasing burden on the youth to marry and have children in order to maintain family lineage and societal expectations. These expectations have resulted in a burgeoning crisis for young adults, complicating their personal choices and freedom with societal pressures.

In Japan, the public empathizes with this struggle as there is a comparable societal expectation for marriage and children. Also, Japan has long been grappling with its own demographic challenges, including an aging population and low fertility rates. Therefore, the plight of the Chinese youth resonates with a broad spectrum of Japanese society.

In the US or EU, societal expectations for young adults to marry and have children might not be as prevalent as in Asian societies due to cultural differences. That said, the stress and pressures associated with choosing career over family, or vice versa, is a universal phenomenon. The rise in individuality and personal choice in these western societies might offer a contrasting perspective to the marriage pressures in China.