Interview with Ms. D2

"In my view, Japan makes full use of foreign labor. On the one hand, policies are designed to attract highly skilled professionals—researchers, engineers, and specialists. On the other, the country also actively encourages foreign workers at the lower end of the labor market. It’s common now to see people from India, Pakistan, Nepal, and other countries working in service industries, alongside Chinese workers. Generally, as long as you apply for a Japanese work visa, you’ll get it quickly, no matter the type of job. This is Japan’s way of responding to its severe aging crisis: with the postwar baby-boom generation now well into their seventies, the country simply lacks enough young workers.

That said, Japan draws a firm line when it comes to citizenship. Naturalization is tightly controlled. To qualify, you often need to work here for ten years, hold a stable visa for at least three, and ideally be considered “exceptional talent” or a knowledge worker. The state welcomes labor, but is careful not to accept too many new citizens.

Legally, Japan doesn’t allow discrimination against foreigners. Nothing in its laws spells out bias. But in practice, society is different. According to Japanese Cabinet Office data I’ve seen, public sentiment toward China has steadily declined, influenced by history, geopolitics, and daily life—and amplified by media and government. Among people over forty, only about 11% say they feel favorable toward China, while among those under thirty, the number is a bit higher at 22%.

Discrimination also appears quietly in business. For example, while the law says nothing, the government sometimes privately advises companies not to purchase from certain Chinese suppliers. There are also informal agreements and whispered rules that restrict the growth of Chinese businesses in Japan.

Of course, not all the tension comes from the Japanese side. Some Chinese exploit gaps in the system. Take taxis, for example. A ride from Narita Airport to central Tokyo can cost over a thousand renminbi—sometimes as much as the plane ticket itself. This high price created a shadow market: Chinese drivers offering unlicensed rides to undercut the official fare. It violates Japanese regulations, yes, but it also exposes a deeper issue—that the taxi industry is overpriced, poorly competitive, and leaves even its drivers underpaid. In that sense, the problem reflects systemic flaws as much as it does rule-breaking by individuals."