A large number of Chinese people are leaving their country for various reasons. Some are very poor, while others are very wealthy. Some are leaving due to economic reasons, as opportunities in China are becoming scarce due to the sluggish economy. Many others are leaving because even limited freedoms are being eroded.
Chinese immigrants are moving to various corners of the world, from workers seeking to start businesses in Mexico to students heading to Thailand. Those who choose Japan as their destination are often affluent or highly educated individuals attracted by the easy lifestyle, rich culture, and favorable immigration policies for high-skilled professionals in Japan.
According to a report by the Associated Press on September 5th, in a classroom in the heart of Tokyo, students, lawyers, and others are listening to a Chinese journalist speak about Taiwan and democracy, topics that are taboo in China and cannot be openly discussed.
“Taiwan’s modern democracy has experienced struggles and bloodshed, there is no doubt about that,” said columnist and visiting researcher at a university in Tokyo, Jia Jia, who was briefly detained eight years ago for writing an article advocating for the resignation of the top leader of the Chinese Communist Party.
Jia Jia is one of the tens of thousands of Chinese intellectuals, investors, and others who have moved to Japan in recent years, embodying the large-scale exodus of Chinese people.
Following the Chinese government’s crackdown on the technology industry, those leaving China include internet entrepreneurs like Jack Ma, who served as a visiting professor at the Tokyo College of Tokyo University.
The United States is also a desired destination for Chinese immigrants, but entry into the US has become difficult. In the past year, tens of thousands of Chinese people crossing the US-Mexico border have been detained, Chinese students face questioning at customs, and some US states have imposed restrictions on Chinese citizens owning property due to geopolitical tensions between the US and China.
Over the past decade, Japan has relaxed its once strict immigration policies due to low birth rates and an aging population. Currently, foreign nationals make up about 2% of Japan’s population of 125 million. Data from the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research in Tokyo shows that by 2070, this proportion is expected to rise to 12%.
Japanese government data shows that Chinese immigrants are the largest group among new immigrants, with 822,000 Chinese immigrants among the over 3 million foreigners living in Japan last year. This number is higher than the 762,000 a year ago and the 649,000 ten years ago.
According to a report by investment immigration firm Henley & Partners, nearly 14,000 millionaires left China last year, making it the country with the highest number of wealthy emigrants in the world, with Japan being a popular destination for Chinese wealthy immigrants. Q. Edward Wang, an Asian studies professor at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey, said the main driving factor is concern over the security of their wealth in China or Hong Kong.
Many wealthy Chinese individuals are buying luxury apartments in Tokyo, to the extent that some areas are referred to as “Chinatowns” or “Digital Chinatowns,” the latter due to many owners working in high-tech industries.
Guo Yu, a retired engineer from ByteDance in China, said, “Life in Japan is very good.” Guo is not interested in politics. He enjoys the powdery snow in Japan during winter and is a “super fan” of Japan’s beautiful hot springs. He owns property and luxury cars in Tokyo, with ski resorts and hot springs near his residence.
Guo is busy with a new social media startup company and a travel agency specializing in “onsen” (hot springs) in Tokyo. He mentioned that most employees are Chinese.
Du Hai, a former ballet dancer in China, found professional opportunities in Japan. Last weekend, Du Hai led a group of over ten Japanese students in dancing at a studio in the outskirts of Tokyo.
Du was attracted by the vast ballet stages in Japan, with professional troupes and talented actors. He is now considering obtaining Japanese citizenship. “Of course, I really enjoy living in Japan now,” he said.
Like Guo, many Chinese people who have moved to Japan are wealthy and well-educated individuals, also driven by Japanese policies and the fact that Japan does not welcome refugees.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated earlier this year that it is crucial for Japan to become a country that attracts foreign talent so that they choose to work here. He also announced plans to relax Japan’s strict immigration restrictions.