※Translated with Notion AI. (Plus version)
At the contributor’s request, the original manuscript is being distributed as is.
We recognize the diverse perspectives on China’s situation with Japan.
However, at Selen, we believe it is important to accurately convey the thoughts
and feelings of Japanese people living in China.
According to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announcement (as of October 1, 2023), there are currently 101,786 Japanese people in China.
Although this number has decreased by more than 300 compared to the previous year, China remains the second country with the most Japanese residents after the United States.
Recently, there have been reports of incidents involving attacks on school buses of Japanese schools in China, resulting in fatalities.
This is a tragic event for which no appropriate words can be found.
In Japan, not long ago, a Chinese man known as “Tetsutou” vandalized and urinated on the Yasukuni Shrine.
This action was criticized in Japan, but in the Chinese online community, some users supported it, claiming he “performed a righteous act against a bad country.”
Is Japan viewed as a bad country in China?
Last year, a Japanese staff member joined our team.
He was the head chef at one of the three restaurants affected by an anti-Japanese mob in Changsha, Hunan Province, southern China, on September 15, 2012.
The extent of the damage was unprecedented.
He is eager to share the background of the incident and highlight the risks Japanese people in China face in their daily lives.
He has contributed his experiences to Seren.
Unfortunately, Japanese media cannot conduct interviews or activities in China if they criticize the country or delve deeply into certain facts.
As a result, the actual situation is not reported in depth or over the medium to long term.
Please listen to the concerns of Japanese people in China.
We hope this will help you gain a better understanding of China.
The Chinese government only permits demonstrations against Japan.
