Embassy urges Chinese nationals in Japan to heighten safety and food hygiene awareness after incidents

The Chinese Embassy in Japan on Thursday evening urged Chinese nationals to increase their personal safety and hygiene precautions, following local media reports of a surge in violent incidents, including indiscriminate killings since December 2024, and multiple mass food safety cases across Japan.

Japanese media reports noted a recent spike in violent crimes across the country. Since December 2024, indiscriminate killings have occurred in Kitakyushu of Fukuoka Prefecture, Nagano of Nagano Prefecture, and Gifu of Gifu Prefecture, resulting in multiple casualties among innocent civilians. In the past two weeks, targeted murders of young women have taken place in Ichinomiya of Aichi Prefecture, Shinjuku of Tokyo, and Saitama of Saitama Prefecture, the embassy said.  

The embassy also reported frequent incidents of theft, robbery, stalking, and telecom fraud, with Chinese nationals among the victims.

According to media reports, mass food safety incidents have recently occurred in several locations, including Tochigi (Tochigi Prefecture), Morioka (Iwate Prefecture), Saitama  (Saitama Prefecture), Shobara (Hiroshima Prefecture), Seki (Gifu Prefecture), and Fukutsu (Fukuoka Prefecture), the embassy said.  

The embassy said customers were infected norovirus after dining, showing symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, and vomiting; in some severe cases, infections led to death. Japanese research institutions have noted that the number of infectious gastroenteritis cases caused by norovirus and similar pathogens has reached the highest level for the same period in the past decade. 

The Chinese Embassy in Japan advised Chinese nationals in Japan—especially tourists visiting Japan—to strengthen their personal safety awareness and take precautions related to personal security and food hygiene. Citizens are urged to remain vigilant, avoid going out alone at night, and stay away from remote or high-crime areas. The embassy also recommended Chinese nationals to make proper preparations before traveling, such as registering with the "Chinese Consular Affairs" app or its WeChat mini-program before departure.