Jean Snow [.net]

Tokyo Chinatown Ikebukuro

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by

Jean Snow
in ,

Could Ikebukuro be getting its very own Chinatown?

A plan by some Chinese store and restaurant owners to create a community named “Tokyo Chinatown Ikebukuro” to promote interaction with their local Japanese neighbors is getting a negative reaction.

What’s the problem?

There has been trouble between Japanese and Chinese businesspeople over problems such as garbage disposal due to differences in lifestyle and language. Since the establishment of the preparatory committee, Chinese managers voluntarily collected waste material on several occasions around Ikebukuro railway station.

Oh, and this:

The possibility of criminal groups including the Chinese mafia coming to Ikebukuro is a source of concern for some Japanese.

I’m of course interested because I live in Ikebukuro. Read the rest of the piece here.