I tried 'Meetup' in Japan and hated it - Failed attempts at socialising

A friendly Japanese guesthouse resident became Daniel’s rare comfortable connection, encouraged Meetup, and later moved home, disappointing him. He panicked at the crowded, noisy ¥500 Ikebukuro Hub event, could not approach the organizer, and left immediately. Solo karaoke transformed the day: two hours of singing restored his mood, and he repeated it four or five times.

Intense social anxiety coexists with growing confidence in solitary, self-directed activities.