Take with a grain of salt, as it's been quite a while since I've been to Japan, and I've never been able to make it to a (non-VR) convention. But, IIUC: There'

Take with a grain of salt, as it's been quite a while since I've been to Japan, and I've never been able to make it to a (non-VR) convention. But, IIUC: There's certainly more respect (and legal backing) for privacy in Japan, which makes things like producing uncommon, off-color, or even transgressive art less risky. People can't just take pictures of you in public and post them online. You're not expected to become an artistic personality, either. Your art (and perhaps a pseudonymous personality) can stand on its own, even when you make public appearances at physical markets, without any of it leaking out into your non-subculture life. You're also not expected to turn the effort into a massive commercial effort. Some doujinshi are only produced in tiny runs that are meant to be distributed to friends, and maybe a handful of interested customers. That means that the production standards are more forgiving, the investment is smaller, and the barriers to trying again if a particular effort doesn't go so well are lower.