Three hundred and fifty thousand people who are called the new generation of overseas Chinese have come to Japan during the last quarter of a century since China launched its open door and reform policies. They are, however, now divided into two groups which stand at opposite ends of the spectrum as well as being at a crossroad.

They are different from their predecessors who came to Japan with kitchen knives or scissors. The older generation came here to be cocks, tailors or barbers. However, most of the new generation have graduated from or attended classes at Japanese universities. Their presence has become increasingly visible in many fields besides the business world.

What stands out above all are the activities of about 1,000 scholars who are professors or associate professors at Japanese universities or research institutes. A considerable number of the Chinese have advanced educational backgrounds such as doctoral degrees. They have written books in Japanese and received prestigious awards.

New generation overseas Chinese are also indispensable to advanced technology and information know-how developments in Japan. A substantial Chinese brain drain in the IT field, which has been absorbed into Japan, occurred during the past few years, to the point where China felt a sense of crisis at losing skilled human resources.

In Japan, brisk activity is occurring with Chinese language-based media for this new generation. These include website news such as “CCTV DAIFU Web” and“RakuRaku China,” newspapers such as “Chinese Review Weekly” and “Dongfang.” They are vital for the daily lives of Chinese in Japan. A group of 12 Chinese female musicians known as “12 Girls' Band,” which plays traditional musical instruments, has made a considerable impact for Chinese traditional music in Japan.

Despite such bright aspects, their society faces a serious problem. More and more Chinese have been committing crimes since the 1990s, with their crimes having become more heinous. Chinese mafia members kill one another and one mafia group called “Snake Head” engages in smuggling. Chinese criminal groups also engage in underground remittances and form gangs of thieves which target residential areas. Their criminal cases are too numerous to count.

In recent years, the heinous crimes of Chinese students aged in their 20s have been striking. In Oita prefecture, a Chinese student killed a man who was his “host father.” This June, Chinese students were allegedly involved in the killing of four members of a family in Fukuoka.

There seems to be no end to Chinese crimes. They not only seriously undermine the reputation of Chinese living in Japan but also pose a threat to the peaceful daily lives of Japanese and foreigners living in this country.

In the past, students had to undergo an extremely severe selection process in order to come to Japan. However, since the collapse of the bubble economy, entering Japanese educational institutions has become very easy. Many Japanese schools that failed in the sluggish economy to achieve their targeted student enrollments opened their doors to lure would-be students from China. Japan's official plan of having at least 100,000 foreign students studying in Japan has also given impetus to the increase in Chinese students in Japan.

Some Chinese students who were able to easily come to Japan have lost their academic goals. They have begun harboring secret intentions to make money and have eventually become tainted by greed. Students in their 20s have not received enough moral education. This should perhaps be described as a negative result of what was brought about by rapid economic growth in China.

Statistics show that nearly 50 percent of foreign nationals arrested in Japan have Chinese nationality, with more than 30 percent of the Chinese arrested being students at educational institutions, including those who are simultaneously studying and working.

Chinese government authorities should seriously cooperate with their Japanese counterparts to deal with this situation. It is also high time for the new generation of Chinese in Japan to rise up against this problem. Those who teach at universities should remind their junior fellows of the original purpose for coming to Japan. If necessary, they should take for responsibility for providing mental health care and moral education to their junior compatriots.