GUANGZHOU -- The Japanese population in China is on the verge of falling below 100,000 to a 20-year low as an expat exodus continues amid bilateral tensions over Japan's Fukushima reactor water release and a tough business environment.
Japanese nationals living in China totaled 102,066 in 2022, down 5% on the year, according to expatriate survey data from Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Assuming the number declines by more than 2% this year, it will fall below the 100,000 mark, the lowest since 2005 -- and a far cry from the 2012 peak of roughly 150,000.
