Interview with Ms. L

"As far as I know, there really aren’t any Chinese organizations here that fight for our rights the way you might imagine. I’ve never heard of anything like that. Honestly, the cohesion among Chinese in Japan just isn’t very strong. Maybe in the U.S. it’s different, but here, it often feels like the saying “Chinese cheat other Chinese” is still in people’s minds.

Even when I meet Chinese speakers in the park or somewhere else, we rarely strike up a real connection. Sure, we’ll exchange a polite greeting, but hardly ever swap WeChat contacts or build a friendship. There’s a strong sense of caution—most people just focus on living their own small lives. If someone asks what you do, you usually won’t say much. At most, you’ll mention that your husband works or that you’re a homemaker, but we avoid going into detail. There’s always this guarded attitude.

As for why places like Ueno have so many Chinese restaurants, it’s really just because more Chinese live there. The population base is larger, so naturally businesses gather there too. And it becomes a symbol—Japanese people themselves will say, “That’s where Chinese people are, so if I want Chinese food, I’ll go there.” Nishikawaguchi is another classic example of this kind of Chinese enclave.

I’ve heard rumors of protests or anti-Chinese marches, but to be honest, I haven’t experienced that firsthand. I don’t pass through those areas regularly. The only thing I’ve actually seen a couple of times was near Ikebukuro Station: some right-wing Japanese standing on trucks, shouting slogans. But that was isolated—more like individuals making noise, not organized marches."