Black people in Japan

Black people in Japan (黒人系日本人, Kokujinkei nihonjin /Nipponjin) are Japanese residents or citizens of sub-Saharan African ancestry.

Black people in Japan
Regions with significant populations
Tokyo, Okinawa
Languages
Japanese, English, African languages
Related ethnic groups
Black people

History
17th century painting of Europeans and their African slaves arriving in Japan.

In the mid-16th century, Africans arrived in Japan alongside Europeans as crew members and slaves.[1]

Yasuke, an African man, possibly from Mozambique, arrived in Japan in the late-16th century alongside Jesuit missionary Alessandro Valignano. He found favor with Oda Nobunaga, the daimyō and warlord, and ultimately became his retainer.[2]

After World War 2, with the Japanese economic miracle, many students from Africa began coming to Japan often to pursue relevant postgraduate education through MEXT and JICA.[3] African Americans also joined the JET Programme to work as English teachers. Some African Americans arrive to serve in the United States Forces Japan.

In 2015, Ariana Miyamoto, who was born in Japan to a Japanese mother and an African-American father, became the first hāfu (a term denoting mixed ancestry) contestant to win the title of Miss Universe Japan.[4] The decision to allow Miyamoto to win the title, as she is not full Japanese by descent, was controversial.[5]

Individuals

Japan-born

Foreign-born
Jero was the first black enka singer in history.

References
  1. Leupp, Gary P. (1995). Images of Black People in Mediaeval and Early Modern Japan, 1543–1900.
  2. Mohamud, Naima (14 October 2019). "Yasuke: The mysterious African samurai". BBC News. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  3. studyinjapan-africa.com
  4. Fackler, Martin (29 May 2015). "Biracial Beauty Queen Challenges Japan's Self-Image". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  5. Olya, Gabrielle (23 March 2015). "Miss Universe Japan Ariana Miyamoto Criticized for Not Being Japanese Enough". People. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
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