① Nuisance behavior of Chinese tourists visiting Japan
In Okinawa, Japan, the nuisance behavior of Chinese tourists is causing controversy. On the 4th, the Fuji News Network (FNN) reported on a video of Chinese tourists parking a luxury rental car in the sea, climbing on it, and taking photos.
The video, submitted by a viewer, was revealed to have been taken on the beach of Mayakojima in Okinawa, Japan. The Chinese tourists drove a Jeep Wrangler worth about $70,000 into the sea. They left the car in the water for a long time while they took photos.
Women cheered on the men posing on the car’s roof, shouting, “You look so handsome.” Upon checking the license plate, the car was found to be a rental.
The representative of the rental car company said that the Chinese tourists didn’t say anything when they returned the car. He tried to contact the Chinese who rented the car several times to charge for cleaning costs, but he could not reach them.
“I can’t believe it. It was my favorite car. It’s not surprising if it becomes scrap after being in the sea,” he said, expressing his disbelief. He repented the damage, saying, “The loss is not just the cleaning cost. If water gets inside, it’s treated as a flood-damaged car, and its value significantly decreases.”
The incident has drawn attention domestically as well. Korean netizens reacted with comments such as, “Do they think they can just go back to China after doing this?”, “Japan won’t rent to Chinese anymore,” “Here we go again,” and “I’m speechless.”
② The Chinese who boasted about buying an uninhabited island in Okinawa
In February, a Chinese woman announced purchasing half of an uninhabited island north of Okinawa Prefecture for about $880,000. The woman shared a video on social media introducing the island she bought three years ago and walking around it. This video turned Japan upside down. The uninhabited island is not far from a U.S. military base, raising concerns about security risks.
On the other hand, most reactions in China were celebratory, as if their territory had expanded. There is a U.S. military facility 60km away from this island. A researcher from the Sasakawa Peace Foundation pointed out, “I think it’s possible to continuously monitor radio information in a collection format because there are U.S. military bases and Self-Defense Forces bases on the main island of Okinawa.”
Japanese netizens call for the government to legally prevent foreigners from buying territory. In interviews, Okinawa residents expressed reactions such as, “I don’t feel good about a Chinese person buying land in Okinawa” and “We might lose the island to China in the future.”
The uninhabited island the woman claimed to have bought is Yamaha Island, which has an area of 7.4 million square feet, 16 times the size of the Tokyo Dome, and is the largest uninhabited island in Okinawa.
The area the Chinese woman purchased is about 4.1 million square feet. She said, “I’ve been in the real estate business for a long time and bought the island for business purposes about three years ago. I could sell it to someone like an Arab prince.”
She also mentioned plans for resort development and added that everyone should come and visit once it’s beautifully developed. As the video caused controversy, the woman posted another video stating that she only wanted to share the beautiful scenery of the island and her joy.
However, the majority of Okinawa residents showed negative reactions. Residents of nearby islands said they were unaware of the resort development plans. Defense Minister Hirokazu Matsuno explained, “It’s not a legal regulation target because it’s not an uninhabited island on the national border with a territorial sea baseline or an inhabited, uninhabited island on the national border.”
③ Not even hesitant about illegal stay
In the past, with the surge in Chinese tourists visiting Japan, problems arose due to illegal stays and behaviors beyond common sense. Many Chinese disappeared after entering Okinawa Prefecture.
Okinawa is one of the most visited places in Japan by Chinese tourists. Various events were held in Okinawa to attract Chinese tourists.
However, many abused the easy issuance of multiple visas and the lax enforcement against illegal stays. Illegal Chinese residents moved all over Japan, taking a boat from Okinawa to nearby major cities for work. Nuisance behavior continued in areas where Chinese groups lived.
Eventually, local residents, bothered by the unruly behavior of Chinese tourists, spread anti-Chinese sentiment, even staging protests with messages like “Go back to China.”
By. Seo Sung Min
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