Thread by @CacheThatCheque

Interesting write up recently from Toyo Keizai about the influx of rich Chinese into Tokyo
A few key takeaways from the article:
1. Since 2022, over 20,000 Chinese with assets of over 1m USD have left China. Many are coming to Japan. Japan is easy to enter
toyokeizai.net/articles/-/696…

2. Why is Japan easy to enter? It's just a 3hr trip from Shanghai/Beijing (where the wealthy are from)
3. Visas are easy: if they invest 5m yen (with some conditions), they can get a business resident visa.
4. Japan has no restrictions or extra taxes on foreigners buying property

Also:
5. Tokyo has many English international schools
6. New high class tower mansions in prime areas of Tokyo are seen as cheap (article says they are 40% cheaper than similar property in Beijing/Shanghai and in some new buildings now over 20% of residents are Chinese)

7. China's rich want to leave: since zero covid and the Russia/Ukraine conflict, there is a worry that a future conflict in Taiwan will shut all of China's borders, so it's important to leave soon. While many prefer the U.S. or Singapore, Japan is closer and easier for visas

8. Tokyo is comfortable for Chinese. Since 2018, Tokyo's Chinese population has grown by double digit percentages in a majority of Tokyo's 23 wards. There is also a big online network and support system for Chinese living in Tokyo. Japan's Chinese population grew by 60k in 6yrs

Other tidbits:
9. There are Chinese jukus in Japan marketed towards Chinese so that they can study and pass exams for Japan's high schools and universities
10. There are Chinese who grow vegetables in rural parts of Japan who sell their produce online to other Chinese in Japan

11. There are also Chinese businesses in Japan that help and introduce properties to Chinese so that they can buy real estate in Japan and get businesses visas (of course)

12. Article openly wonders if the Japanese govt will actively welcome Japan's growing Chinese immigrant population as Japan faces population decline or continue its current stance (which is doing nothing at all). Writer also wonders if Chinese will influence Japanese politics

Overall, many interesting points from the Toyo Keizai. How many Chinese actually live in Japan now? A different article from Shukan Diamond in 2018 estimated there were over 1 million Chinese living in Japan when counting naturalized citizens and illegals
diamond.jp/articles/-/188…