Black people in Japan
Regions with significant populations | |
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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) is Japanese residents or citizens of sub-Saharan African ancestry.
History[]
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]
In 2015, Ariana Miyamoto, who was born in Japan to a Japanese mother and an African-American father, became the first hāfu (mixed) contestant to win the title of Miss Universe Japan.[3] The decision to allow Miyamoto to win the title, due to her not being fully Japanese ethnically, was controversial.[4]
Notable individuals[]
Japan-born[]
- Thelma Aoyama (born 1987), Japanese R&B singer.
- Abdul Hakim Sani Brown (born 1999), Japanese sprinter.
- Rui Hachimura (born 1998), Japanese basketball player.
- Dan Howbert (born 1987), Japanese footballer.
- Crystal Kay (born 1986), Japanese pop singer.
- Issey Maholo (born 1985), Japanese football goalkeeper.
- Ariana Miyamoto (born 1994), Japanese beauty contestant.
- Mana Nakao (born 1986), Japanese footballer.
- Talla Ndao (born 1999), Japanese footballer.
- Karen Nun-Ira (born 1991), Japanese judoka.
- Naomi Osaka (born 1997), Japanese tennis player.
- Ado Onaiwu (born 1995), Japanese footballer.
- Evelyn Mawuli (boorn 1995), Japanese basketball player.
- Stephanie Mawuli (born 1998), Japanese basketball player.
Foreign-born[]
- Asuka Cambridge (born 1993), Jamaica-born, Japanese sprinter.
- Pape Mour Faye (born 1986), Senegal-born, Japanese professional basketball player.
- Samba Faye (born 1987), Senegal-born Japanese professional basketball player.
- Chris Hart (born 1984), US-born, Japanese pop singer.
- Kotaro Matsushima (born 1993), South Africa-born, Japanese rugby union player.
- Kaoru Mfaume (born 1976), US-born entertainment producer.
- Ike Nwala (born 1986), US-born TV presenter and comedian.
- Andy Ologun (born 1983), Nigeria-born professional boxer, mixed martial artist, kickboxer and actor.
- Bobby Ologun (born 1973), Nigeria-born television personality.
- Mandy Sekiguchi (born 1991), US-born rapper.
- Jerome White, Jr. (born 1981), or Jero, US-born enka singer.
- Yasuke, Africa-born retainer of Oda Nobunaga.
References[]
- ^ Leupp, Gary P. (1995). Images of Black People in Mediaeval and Early Modern Japan, 1543–1900.
- ^ Mohamud, Naima (14 October 2019). "Yasuke: The mysterious African samurai". BBC News. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
- ^ Fackler, Martin (29 May 2015). "Biracial Beauty Queen Challenges Japan's Self-Image". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
- ^ Olya, Gabrielle (23 March 2015). "Miss Universe Japan Ariana Miyamoto Criticized for Not Being Japanese Enough". People. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
- Ethnic groups in Japan
- Japanese people of African descent
- Black (human racial classification)
- Race in Japan