I have a degree in asian culture (yes, useless, I know, but I have another degree too)
The Japanese have always had fucked up deviants. This is why the Chinese called them the "island of strange". It predates the influence of the Cabal.
Their anime isn't focused on school age children. They target every age and genre. You are only seeing what our media shows here and what is popular, because nobody in America wants to see anime that targets Japanese housewives, Sumo wrestling fans or retired Salarymen.
Source (I lived there)