Sending a kid to a store has absolutely nothing to do with routinely relying on an electronic device to manage all of their daily activities.
Kids COULD do a lot of things. They might be fine living alone in a box and learning everything online, for example. But that doesn't make it a good idea.
I'm actually glad you bring up Japanese culture. Japan has several forms of institutionalized child abuse, as well as a culture with extreme conformism and too much social pressure for anyone to be vocal about dissent. So yeah, probably a product of the way kids are raised. Also, with the extreme xenophobia and non-acceptance of outsiders, it's probably safer on the streets there than an average US city.
Providing your kid with day-to-day love and attention isn't really related to whether they leave the house or not.