Black people in Japan
Ethnic group in Japan
Ethnic group
Black people in Japan (黒人系日本人 Kokujinkei nihonjin /Nipponjin are Japanese residents or citizens of sub-Saharan African ancestry.
History
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] 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 Miss Universe Japan .[ 4] [ 5]
Individuals
Japan-born
Jim Bowie (born 1965), baseball player of African-American descentSentoryū Henri (born 1969), first sumo wrestler of African-American descentAja Kong (born 1970), professional wrestler of African-American descentRichard T. Jones (born 1972), actor of African-American descentDave Roberts (born 1972), baseball player of African-American descentIssey Maholo (born 1985), football goalkeeper of Congolese descentCrystal Kay (born 1986), pop singer of African-American descentDan Howbert (born 1987), footballer of Liberian descentElly (born 1987), rapper and dancer of African-American descentThelma Aoyama (born 1987), R&B singer of Afro-Trinidadian descentKaren Nun-Ira (born 1991), judoka Ariana Miyamoto (born 1994), beauty contestant of African-American descentEvelyn Mawuli (born 1995), basketball player of Ghanaian descentAdo Onaiwu (born 1995), footballer of Nigerian descentBoniface Nduka (born 1996), footballer of Nigerian descentAisha Harumi Tochigi (born 1996), model of Ghanaian descentZachary Herivaux (born 1996), footballer of Haitian descentPowell Obinna Obi (born 1997), footballer of Nigerian descentNaomi Osaka (born 1997), tennis player of Haitian descentCharles Nduka (born 1998), footballer of Nigerian descentStephanie Mawuli (born 1998), basketball player of Ghanaian descentHisashi Appiah Tawiah (born 1998), footballer of Ghanaian descentRui Hachimura (born 1998), basketball player of Beninese descentJefferson Tabinas (born 1998), Japanese footballer of Ghanaian descentOsamu Henry Iyoha (born 1998), footballer of Nigerian descentRandy Emeka Obi (born 1999), footballer of Nigerian descentAbdul Hakim Sani Brown (born 1999), sprinter of Ghanaian descentIbrahim Junior Kuribara (born 2001), footballer of Ghanaian descentSolomon Sakuragawa (born 2001), footballer of Nigerian descentKashif Bangnagande (born 2001), footballer of Ghanaian descentLeo Kokubo (born 2001), footballer of Nigerian descentKeita Buwanika (born 2002), footballer of Ugandan descentPaul Tabinas (born 2002), footballer of Ghanaian descentJoel Chima Fujita (born 2002), footballer of Nigerian descentAnrie Chase (born 2004), footballer of Jamaican descent
Foreign-born
Jero was the first black enka Asuka Cambridge (born 1993), Jamaica-born sprinterPape Mour Faye (born 1986), Senegal-born basketballerSamba Faye (born 1987), Senegal-born basketballerChris Hart (born 1984), US-born pop singerJero (born 1981), US-born enka Kotaro Matsushima (born 1993), South Africa-born rugby union playerKaoru Mfaume (born 1976), US-born entertainment producerIke Nwala (born 1986), US-born TV presenter and comedianAndy Ologun (born 1983), Nigeria-born professional boxer, mixed martial artist, kickboxer, and actorBobby Ologun (born 1968), Nigeria-born television personalityAlessandro Santos (born 1977), Brazil-born footballerMandy Sekiguchi (born 1991), US-born rapperJelani Reshaun Sumiyoshi (born 1997), US-born footballerMusashi Suzuki (born 1994), Jamaica-born footballerZion Suzuki (born 2002), US-born footballerUmi (born 1999), US-born singer and songwriterYasuke , 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 .[ 6]
References
Geography
Secondary
Africa
Ghana
Liberia
Nigeria
Sierra Leone
Europe Asia and Related
Americas Asia Europe Africa Oceania See also
Prehistoric Ancient Post-classical Related
