Interview with Ms. D

"When I was in university, I majored in Japanese and even taught it for a while. Wanting to pursue a higher degree, I came to Japan as a student. I arrived in 2003, which many consider Japan’s peak period—though it was already at the tail end of it. I was drawn in by the atmosphere and environment here, and eventually decided to settle down.

Looking back, Japan back then felt even cleaner than it is now. People dressed more neatly, and there was this sense of ease in the air. The economy was doing well, and the Japanese were more open and friendly. For example, when I was studying in Hokkaido, one evening after a late class I went out looking for a restaurant. On the way, I ran into a group of Japanese people who told me that everything was already closed. Instead of just leaving it at that, they offered to share the food they had just bought with me.

Another time in Shinjuku, I was completely lost. I asked a woman with her child for directions, but since the place was quite far, I couldn’t really follow what she explained. In the end, she actually walked me all the way to the location herself. Moments like these really stayed with me. But in recent years, with the economy slowing down, Japan doesn’t feel quite the same—people are less warm, the streets aren’t as clean as before. I still remember how I could walk around in white shoes for three months without a single stain.

As for my husband, his story is different. He came to Japan mainly because of family ties. His grandfather had come from China as an early exchange student, and while studying here, he met his Japanese wife—so my husband is half Chinese, half Japanese. He grew up in China for his early years, but after high school he moved to Japan and eventually attended university here."