Education

"In our family, we’ve always spoken Chinese at home. My child actually completed first grade in China, so the foundation was already there. After we moved to Japan, I’ve made sure he continues studying Chinese...

"At home, my child still speaks some Chinese, but naturally Japanese is stronger—after all, it’s the environment he’s growing up in. Every year I send him back to China for a while to learn more Chinese, hoping he can at least keep the language alive...

"For me, family should feel warm and open. I don’t want my daughter growing up in a house where food on the table belongs only to one person, and everyone else has to ask before touching it. I want her to come home, see something she likes, and eat it without hesitation. That, to me, is what a real home feels like—warm and shared—not the cold, distant atmosphere I often sense in Japanese households...

"When I think about my child’s future, the most important thing to me is that he can live in Japan like a Japanese person—respecting the rules, adapting to society, and being able to live independently. At home we mostly speak Chinese, so his first language has actually become Chinese...

"When it comes to raising children, most Chinese parents I know still hope their kids will keep some connection with China. But in practice, it plays out in different ways...

"I have two children, and my older one has already started working. Since my kids came to Japan when they were around seven years old, they grew up mostly immersed in Japanese culture...

"When I studied at an international school in Japan, most of my classmates were Japanese. The school itself was small—our grade only had about fifty students. Among them, there were five Chinese students in my year, which was unusual since most grades typically had only one or two...

"As a Chinese parent in Japan, I’ve noticed that most children born here gradually become more immersed in Japanese culture, while the connection to Chinese culture grows weaker...

"When it comes to children’s education in Japan, private schools are extremely competitive, while public schools are relatively relaxed...