Prologue Journal

Fatal stabbing of schoolboy in neighbouring Shenzhen sparks unease among Japanese families in Hong Kong

• prologu5
• 11/10/202411/10/2024

Hong Kong Free Press

Since the fatal stabbing of a Japanese schoolboy in neighbouring Shenzhen, the Takedas have not let their son come home alone after classes in Hong Kong.

On September 18, a 10-year-old Japanese boy was stabbed while on his way to school in the mainland Chinese city of Shenzhen. The boy died the following day.

The suspect, a 44-year-old unemployed man surnamed Zhong, was detained at the scene and admitted the attack, according to Shenzhen media.

“I was shocked… I could not believe it,” Mrs Takeda, who requested a pseudonym due to the sensitivity of the issue, told HKFP through an interpreter. “Because I have never felt hostility or hatred in my immediate surroundings.”

“I have to go to the mainland for work, and people I meet there have always been kind to me,” said her husband, who works for a Japanese electronic manufacturing company. “But, because of this incident, I inevitably feel there is hostility [targeting Japanese people].”

The Takedas moved to Hong Kong in 2023 and their children attend a Japanese school in the city. Speaking to HKFP about a month after the attack, they said they felt a sense of insecurity due to the proximity of the two cities and the lack of information about the attacker’s motive.

Chinese authorities have yet to disclose the suspected motive or the progress of the investigation. In the days after the stabbing, foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Beijing “regrets and feels saddened by the unfortunate incident.” But Lin added that it could happen in any country and would not impact exchanges and cooperation between China and Japan.

Hong Kong, which is 15 minutes from Shenzhen by high-speed rail, is home to about 11,000 Japanese people according to 2021 census data.

Asked if they saw the attack as targeting their community, the Takedas said they could not help but feel that way as it was the second incident of its kind within months.

In June, a Japanese mother and child were injured in a knife attack in Suzhou, near Shanghai. A Chinese woman died while attempting to stop the assailant, who local police said was a 55-year-old Chinese man.

“I want to know the truth, especially the motive, that is also what the whole of Japanese society has been discussing,” said Mr Takeda.

‘Utterly shocking’

Retiree Okubo, who asked to be identified by his surname, said the nature of the attack left room for speculation.

“Because the victim was a student at the Japanese school [in Shenzhen], it’s natural to wonder whether the attack was related to what Japanese people perceive as anti-Japanese sentiment in China,” he told HKFP.

“But to me, Shenzhen is not a city with that kind of political atmosphere,” Okubo, who lived in the city for a decade before moving to Hong Kong in 1999, added.

“It was utterly shocking and saddening to see [the killing] in such a city… Also, because the child’s mother is Chinese, you may say it’s a Chinese man killing a Chinese boy. Either way, it’s a tragedy,” he said.

The 10-year-old’s father was Japanese and his mother was Chinese, according to China’s foreign ministry.

Shenzhen residents laid flowers outside the boy’s school expressing their sadness and condolences.

Citing a source close to Chinese authorities, Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported that the attacker had been “frustrated with job searching” and wanted to do “something big to gain attention.” He thought stabbing a Japanese person would achieve that result and looked up the address of the Japanese school on the internet, according to the article.

“The Chinese government said they would protect the safety of all foreigners living in China… If they really want to do so, then they should find out the suspect’s motive, and eradicate the sentiments giving rise to such motives,” Okubo said.

Okubo said Chinese social media platforms were flooded with anti-Japanese misinformation, such as a claim that Japanese schools in the country were training spies.

Japanese diplomats and officials, including then-foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa, have urged Beijing to curb such misinformation. “To control fake information like that is something the Chinese government can do,” Okubo said.

‘Not a political issue’

The Shenzhen killing occurred on the anniversary of the 1931 Mukden incident, which marked the beginning of Japanese invasion and occupation of northeastern China that lasted until the end of the Second World War.

Following the attack, Japanese embassies in China – including the consulate in Hong Kong – issued alerts to their nationals, urging them to ensure safety during anniversaries associated with the war. Flags were flown at half mast.

Mrs Takeda said the Japanese school in Hong Kong had also allowed students to wear their own clothes instead of uniforms in the wake of the incident. Around half opted for casual dress, she said.

It was the first time she said she had felt this kind of insecurity since moving to Hong Kong.

Her husband said he wanted his children to understand what had happened during the war, but that his priority was to keep them safe in Hong Kong.

Japanese restaurant owner Kumamoto – also a pseudonym – who has lived in Hong Kong since 2013, said his child was also his priority.

“I feel worried, too. I have a daughter,” he told HKFP via video call.

While Kumamoto said he hoped the Chinese authorities would publicise more information about the suspect’s motive, he added that the attack had been “politicised” by news media on both sides.

“No one knows why the accident, the murder, happened. But I think people, including in China, Japan, and Hong Kong, are exaggerating [the attack] as a political issue,” he said.

He said Japanese media had attributed the attack to anti-Japanese sentiment in China, fitting a narrative popular with a home audience.

“The China side must be open [about information], that’s a must. But both sides, including Hong Kong, need to calm down,” Kumamoto said.

‘Not let this happen’

The alert issued by the Japanese consulate in Hong Kong noted that “the circumstances in Hong Kong… may not necessarily be the same as in mainland China,” a sentiment that was shared by interviewees.

The Takedas and Kumamoto said Hongkongers had a friendlier attitude towards Japan than mainland Chinese. Okubo mentioned how residents call travelling to Japan “visiting homeland.”

But Mrs Takeda said she was worried by the city’s proximity to Shenzhen and the frequent exchange of people that facilitated, adding she had scrapped plans to travel across the border after the attack.

During the interview with HKFP at a public location, she expressed concern about discussing the issue out loud.

Okubo, who is now a Hong Kong resident and only returns to Japan sporadically, said he was also concerned about the city’s push for patriotic education in recent years.

Hong Kong has stepped up efforts to promote patriotism among the city’s youth. Last month, a museum was renamed to refer to the Second Sino-Japanese War, known in China as the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.

See also: Most visitors to revamped, renamed Hong Kong museum unaware of patriotic education push

While Okubo said his people must “remember history,” Hong Kong had previously tended not to stress the past. “We cannot rule out that [an attack] would never happen,” he said.

Japanese news agency Kyodo reported that the boy’s mother was present during the deadly attack.

“I believe my life would be turned upside down if this tragedy happened to my kids,” said Mrs Takeda, whose elder son is also 10.

“I would not let this happen even if I had to give my life.”

Support HKFP  |  Policies & Ethics  |  Error/typo?  |  Contact Us  |  Newsletter  | Transparency & Annual Report | Apps

Help safeguard press freedom & keep HKFP free for all readers by supporting our team

.wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles article .entry-title {
font-size: 1.2em;
}
.wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles .entry-meta {
display: flex;
flex-wrap: wrap;
align-items: center;
margin-top: 0.5em;
}
.wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles article .entry-meta {
font-size: 0.8em;
}
.wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles article .avatar {
height: 25px;
width: 25px;
}
.wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles .post-thumbnail{
margin: 0;
margin-bottom: 0.25em;
}
.wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles .post-thumbnail img {
height: auto;
width: 100%;
}
.wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles .post-thumbnail figcaption {
margin-bottom: 0.5em;
}
.wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles p {
margin: 0.5em 0;
}

MORE Original Reporting

Fatal stabbing of schoolboy in neighbouring Shenzhen sparks unease among Japanese families in Hong Kong

How do Hongkongers feel about Donald Trump’s victory in US presidential election?

Explainer: Hong Kong’s national security crackdown – month 52

Hong Kong restaurants cut waste – and sometimes costs – as plastics ban goes into force

https://hongkongfp.com/2024/11/10/fatal-stabbing-of-schoolboy-in-neighbouring-shenzhen-sparks-unease-among-japanese-families-in-hong-kong/