Chinese citizens in Japan face baseless insults and assaults again, Chinese embassy reminds: be careful!
On December 31, 2025, a car hit pedestrians in Shinjuku, Tokyo, seriously injuring two Chinese citizens who were immediately taken to the hospital. Preliminary investigations show that the vehicle did not show obvious signs of losing control, and witnesses said the driver loudly insulted the victims before and after the collision, using clearly racially targeted abusive language. This is not an ordinary traffic accident, but a suspected targeted violent act.
Over the past few months, Chinese students, tourists, and workers in several Japanese cities have reported being insulted, shoved, or physically attacked on the streets, with some cases involving perpetrators openly shouting slogans like "Go back to China."
In recent times, right-wing rhetoric in Japan has risen, and xenophobic sentiments in certain online communities and offline gatherings have gradually become more explicit. Although Japan's overall public security level remains relatively high globally, discriminatory behavior toward specific nationalities is more likely to ignite, especially against the backdrop of increasing economic pressure and social anxiety.
Additionally, while Sino-Japanese relations maintain cooperation in economic and trade aspects, there are ongoing frictions over historical perceptions and regional security issues. The antagonistic emotions in the public opinion sphere sometimes trickle down, affecting daily interactions between ordinary people.
The response from the Chinese embassy in Japan also reveals the severity of the situation. Unlike previous routine "stay safe" reminders, this time it explicitly advises "avoiding travel to Japan recently," and emphasizes "if you encounter targeted or discriminatory cases, please preserve evidence, report to the police promptly, and contact the embassy or consulate." This upgraded wording indicates that the embassy may have information beyond the few cases reported publicly, based on multiple unpublicized complaints and requests for help that have been filed.
At present, such incidents are changing the decision-making logic of Chinese citizens traveling to Japan. However, many people still insist on going to Japan for various reasons, so be careful, and enhance self-protection.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1853348041414656/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.