[Seiko Iseki & Kinuko, Vol. 2] The bankruptcy of the company they belonged to and an Achilles tendon rupture. “At that moment, I really thought, ‘I’m going back to China! I want to go home!’”

Olympic gold medalist Wei Qingguang was born in China and developed his skills in China. Although he joined the national team relatively late, as a doubles specialist he was selected for the World Championships and the Olympics, where he brilliantly went on to win the title.

But there is no doubt that he already had outstanding individual ability. In the men’s Singles at the 1990 Asian Games, he showed overwhelming strength against then-powerful South Korea and North Korea, as well as in matches against teammates, and won the title.

The following year, he came to Japan with his newly married wife, Shi Xiaojuan. At the time, China was not yet under the free-market system it has today, and with the wage gap between China and overseas, “going abroad” also meant a chance for a better life and to earn money.

And while the two of them took a liking to Japan and chose to acquire Japanese nationality, they had no idea that many hardships would await them afterward.

The bankruptcy of the company they belonged to, Lalala, and then an Achilles tendon rupture. The roller coaster the two were riding was plunging at breakneck Speed. <2025年4月取材>

“Wait, that’s it!?” I was shocked that you could give up your nationality so easily

●─How did you feel when you got a Japanese passport?

Harumitsu First, I had to return my Chinese passport, so a sudden sense of uncertainty about the future came over me. It was really hard emotionally. In the 90s, there still weren’t many Chinese people living overseas, and there weren’t many people with foreign passports either. So I felt very uneasy. Honestly, I started wondering for the first time whether I could really take care of my family if I got a Japanese passport. I thought, “My responsibility is huge.”

Kinuko After we returned our passports and came back, we both just stayed silent.

●─If you return your Chinese passport, can you receive a Japanese passport right away?

Kinuko You can’t get it right away, so there is a period when you have no passport at all. I’m a worrier, so when I returned mine, I was anxious, thinking, “Am I really giving it back?” because I’d be left without a passport. I was also worried they might say, “No, we won’t accept it,” or “We object,” and then I wouldn’t be able to return my Chinese passport. But in reality, the person at the Chinese consulate just said, “Understood,” and took the passport away, calmly. So I thought, “Wait, that’s it!?” I was surprised that nationality could be given up so easily. I think we both felt the same way.

●─Once it’s nearly decided that you can obtain a Japanese passport, do you return the Chinese passport after that?

Kinuko No, that’s not how it worked. We proceeded in the order we were told by the Legal Affairs Bureau. Since the Legal Affairs Bureau accepted all the documents, the next step was to go to the Chinese embassy or consulate yourself and return your passport.

After returning the passport, you no longer have a passport at all. You have to wait about six months to a year. You’re basically stateless. Maybe that was because there were so few people naturalizing back then. I think it’s improved now.