Society How Chinese children raised in Japan balance two cultures

thomas · 15 Dec 2025

Against the backdrop of the spat over the PM's Taiwan comments, JT examined how young Chinese living in Japan grapple with the challenges.

Outside of the media furor and diplomatic hand-wringing, however, daily life continues for the more than 800,000 Chinese people who call Japan home — including many children and teenagers who have grown up here. "Politics and daily life in Japan are very separate," says Zhang Yinan, 36, a native of Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, who spent her childhood in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture. Zhang asked that her name be changed to protect her privacy. "Neighbors, teachers or students don't act differently because of a spat between the two governments." Yet many students of Chinese background still encounter moments of friction, subtle or overt, in the classroom.

Japan-raised Chinese children navigate complex cultural terrain

Despite bilateral tensions, daily life goes on for the hundreds of thousands of Chinese people who call Japan home — including the children and teenagers who have grown up here.

www.japantimes.co.jp

When asked about the conflict, some of my Chinese students initially voiced concern over how their Japanese neighbours and colleagues might react, but none reported any adverse reactions. A young Chinese software engineer told me he preferred life in Japan "for political reasons."

Society How Chinese children raised in Japan balance two cultures

thomas

Unswerving cyclist

Japan-raised Chinese children navigate complex cultural terrain

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