Anti-Japanese Sentiment Intensifies... Number of Japanese Living in China Decreases by 50,000 Over 13 Years

After Surpassing 150,000 in 2012, the Number Continues to Decline
Analyses Cite Sluggish Sales by Some Japanese Companies

The number of Japanese nationals effectively residing in China has fallen below 100,000 for the first time in 20 years.

Japanese media outlets such as Sankei Shimbun reported on the 5th, citing the "Survey Statistics on the Number of Japanese Residents Overseas" released by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that as of October 1 last year, the number of Japanese staying in China for more than three months was 97,538, a 4.2% decrease compared to the previous year.

People walking on the observation deck in front of buildings in Beijing's central business district. Photo by AFP, Yonhap News

In the ranking of countries where Japanese nationals reside long-term, China fell to third place, behind Australia, which recorded 104,141 people. China had maintained second place in this ranking since 2003. The number of Japanese long-term residents in China surged after 2000 with corporate expansion, exceeding 150,000 in 2012.

However, the downward trend continued after the Japanese government nationalized the Senkaku Islands (called Diaoyudao in Chinese), which are subject to a territorial dispute with China, in 2012, triggering strong anti-Japanese sentiment in China.

Sankei pointed out that the continued decline appears to be influenced by factors such as sluggish sales of some Japanese companies due to the slowdown in China's economic growth, a series of attacks on Japanese children last year, and the detention of Japanese nationals by Chinese authorities.

NHK also analyzed that among expatriates, growing concerns about safety and other issues have led to hesitancy in bringing family members along.

Meanwhile, as of October 1 last year, the number of Japanese long-term residents in South Korea increased by 1.2% from the previous year to 43,064. The number of Japanese long-term residents in the United States was approximately 410,000.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.