Chinese search for a taste of the good life in Japan 

Sun Lijun and his wife first started talking about moving to Japan almost a decade ago. They became worried about the quality of air and living environment in China, as well as childhood education and the state of the economy.

In 2021, the 42-year-old semiconductor engineer and his wife did just that, leaving their life in China behind and relocating with their two children to Japan.

Moving to Okinawa on a business management visa was a first step to “start over and then lead another lifestyle,” he told Voice of America. Sun is not alone. 

He is one of hundreds of thousands of Chinese nationals who have relocated to Japan, where they are now the largest group of immigrants.

According to data from the Japanese Immigration Service Agency, at the end of last year, 821,838 Chinese nationals were living in the country, a 13% increase from 2022. 

Labor shortages

Trends in Chinese immigration follow a broader increase in the number of foreigners relocating to Japan. In 2023, the number of foreign nationals residing there hit a record high of more than 3.4 million.

With an aging population and widespread labor shortages, Japan has been rolling out immigration reforms in a bid to attract more foreign talent to the country.

Beginning in 2019, Tokyo pushed to loosen qualifications that previously inhibited foreigners from establishing residence in the country. 

Now, those applying for business management visas and residency can bypass previously strict standards for special skills, education, and residence qualifications.

The changes in Japanese immigration policy have come with consequences. 

In the case of Chinese nationals, new residents have driven up housing prices and the rate of real estate development across the country.

Daniel Cheng, the president of Wan Guo Jin Liang Company, told VOA that real estate developers in Tokyo often use Chinese sales teams. There is also a clutch of Chinese-owned companies focusing on new arrivals.

The Japanese capital has attracted middle-class and wealthy Chinese. That has pushed up the average price of newly built central city apartments by nearly 40% from 2022 to around US$780,000, a report by the Real Estate Economic Institute in Tokyo highlighted. 

Already that is higher than the average apartment price in the capital’s greater metropolitan area, which is about $550,000.

Wealthy investors

Chin JouSen’s real estate agency, Yuzawa, focuses on the Chinese market. He said that when looking at buying property in Japan, China’s wealthy mainly focus on preserving the value of their investment.

Middle-class families, Chin pointed out, tend to look for a variety of choices that allow them to minimize the cost of living.

Cheng, of the Wan Guo Jin Liang Company, said that Japan’s stable political environment, good medical and social insurance, and property ownership rights are key draws for Chinese nationals. 

In China, by contrast, individuals may not own land.

Water Lee, a consultant with InterDots, a company that provides immigration services, told VOA that Hong Kongers are also among those relocating to Japan.

They have been looking to leave the port city in recent years because of changes in the political environment.

Despite the impact of the surge of new foreign residents, the rising cost of housing in Japan’s capital, and the geopolitical rivalry between Tokyo and Beijing, Chinese migrants said public sentiment toward them is positive.

Chin, of Yuzawa, pointed out that integrating into Japanese society is the most important thing an immigrant can do. And based on his experience, the Japanese are friendly and accepting.

Subtle differences

Still, Tokyo-based aromatherapy business owner Michelle Takahashi, who is originally from Taiwan, told VOA that immigrants can sometimes feel subtle differences in how they are treated:

Japanese thinking on service work can sometimes make foreigners feel like they are being treated specially or differently. This can be a challenge for foreigners who don’t speak Japanese.

Tokyo provides new immigrants with specialists to help them adapt to the new language and culture.

Kazuhiko Isozaki founded Beru Corporation in 2017. The company invests in unused, vacant houses, renovates them, and rents them out to disadvantaged groups at low prices. 

He fully welcomed the influx of foreign capital, especially Chinese capital, into Japan:

The rise in land and housing prices has a positive impact on the economy, and foreign capital helps to drive up land prices. As Japan’s population continues to decline, it makes sense from an economic perspective to more effectively assist overseas capital and people in entering Japan.

He said he planned to engage in businesses helping foreigners buy real estate in the future, mainly through education and support services. This would further help reduce barriers.

As for Sun and his family, they have settled in Okinawa, Japan’s sparsely populated prefecture south of the main island. They enjoy the climate, slower pace of life, and its international mix.

Property management

For a while, Sun operated a coin laundry before transitioning to property management. His two daughters are learning Japanese in school. He said:

After immigrating to Japan, my quality of life and overall happiness of my family increased significantly.

Katherine Michaelson contributed to this report.

Ryan Shih is a producer at Voice of America.

This edited article is republished courtesy of Voice of America. Read the original article here.

The views and opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the official policy of China Factor.