The arrest of a Chinese woman in Friday's fatal stabbing of two children she routinely drove to kindergarten in Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, has cast a light on the problems foreigners face in trying to fit into Japanese society.
Zheng Yongshan, 34, whose 5-year-old daughter attended kindergarten with the two victims, reportedly told investigators her daughter did not fit in well with other children. Media reports also quoted an acquaintance who said Zheng felt left out by the mothers of the other children.
Experts have been quick to attribute Zheng's actions to paranoia stemming from insecurity about not being able to make friends.