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Black people in Japan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Afro-Japanese)
Black people in Japan
Regions with significant populations
Tokyo, Okinawa
Languages
Japanese, English, African languages
Related ethnic groups
Black people

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

History

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16th century painting of European traders and an enslaved African in Japan
17th century painting of a European trader and an enslaved African in Japan
A black sumo wrestler, possibly Yasuke, in the 17th century
17th century Dutch Dejima, Japan

In the mid-16th century, enslaved Africans arrived in Japan alongside Europeans.[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 achieved the status of a samurai.[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

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Japan-born

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Foreign-born

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Jero was the first black enka singer in history.

References

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  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.
  6. ^ Mohamud, Naima (14 October 2019). "Yasuke: The mysterious African samurai". BBC News. Retrieved 21 May 2021.