Photo/Illutration Chinese residents hold candles in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward on Sept. 19 to mourn the boy who was fatally stabbed in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China. (Jin Nishioka)

More than 50 Chinese residents gathered in Tokyo on Sept. 19 to mourn a Japanese boy who was fatally stabbed in China’s southeastern city of Shenzhen.

The memorial was held in a room of a building in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward, where participants laid flowers and observed a minute of silence.

“We feel deep sadness for the innocent life taken, frustration at being unable to do anything and anger,” said the organizer, a 38-year-old man who called for the memorial on social media.

A joint statement from some Chinese residents in Japan was posted on X (formerly Twitter): “We feel deep sorrow and shock ... and strongly condemn the perpetrator.”

Lawyer Li Jinxing, 51, who helped draft the statement, was among the attendees.

“This is truly a tragic incident,” he said. “We wanted to convey to the Japanese people that not all Chinese are like the perpetrator.”

The 10-year-old Japanese boy was stabbed on his way to school on Sept. 18 in Shenzhen, Guangdong province.

Although the motive for the attack was not known, some online posts in China have shown animosity toward Japanese people and Japanese schools in the country.

Japanese government officials have voiced concerns that anti-China sentiment spreading on social media following the boy’s death could lead to a deterioration in relations.

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