Japanese people

Japanese people are an ethnic group native to the islands of Japan. They are ethnically related to other peoples of eastern Asia.[26] Japanese people make up 97.1% of the population of Japan.[27] Worldwide, around 125 million people are of Japanese descent, making them one of the largest ethnic groups. Around 119.9 million Japanese people are residents of Japan,[27] and there are roughly five million members of the Japanese diaspora (descendants of Japanese people who have moved to other countries), who are called Nikkeijin (日系人).

Japanese people
日本人
Total population
c. 125 million
Japanese people around the world.svg
Regions with significant populations
Japan 119.9 million[1]
Significant Japanese diaspora in:
Brazil2,700,000[2] (2013)
United States1,586,652[3] (2020)
Peru203,130[4] (2023)
Canada129,425[5] (2021)
Philippines120,000[6][7][better source needed]
Australia104,141[8] (2024)note
China97,538[8] (2024)note
Mexico88,985[9] (2024)
Argentina75,528[10] (2024)
Thailand70,421[8] (2024)note
United Kingdom64,066[8] (2024)note
Germany43,513[8] (2024)note
South Korea43,064[8] (2024)note
France37,056[8] (2024)note
Singapore32,565[8] (2024)note
Taiwan21,696[8] (2024)note
New Zealand20,318[8] (2024)note
Malaysia20,025[8] (2024)note
Micronesia20,000[2] (2023)
Other countries
(fewer than 20,000)
Vietnam17,410[8] (2024)note
Indonesia14,720[11]note
Bolivia14,000[12]
Netherlands10,460[13]
Spain8,720[14]
India8,398[15]
Paraguay7,000[16]
Austria3,500[17]
Uruguay3,456[18]note
Cambodia3,363[19]note
Ireland3,122[20]
Colombia3,000[21]note
Turkey1,594 (2024)[22]
Languages
Japanese
Religion
Mainly a mix of Shinto and Buddhism; minorities follow Christianity and other religions[23][24][25]
Related ethnic groups
Ainu · Ryukyuan

^  Note: For this country, only the number of residents with Japanese nationality is shown, since the number of naturalized Japanese people and their descendants is unknown.

Sometimes the term "Japanese people" might be used to mean just the Yamato people, who are mainly from Japan’s historic main islands of Honshū, Kyūshū, and Shikoku, and are by far the largest group within Japan. In other contexts, the term could also include other groups native to the islands of Japan, including the Ryukyuan people, who share connections with the Yamato but are often thought to be different, as well as the Ainu people.[28] In recent decades, there has also been a growing number of people with both Japanese and non-Japanese roots, including those who are half Japanese.[29]

Japanese People Media

References

  1. Population Estimates by Age (Five-Year Groups) and Sex. stat.go.jpStatistics Bureau of Japan. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  2. 2.0 2.1 海外日系人数推計 (in ja). Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (October 1, 2023). Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  3. 2020: DEC Detailed Demographic and Housing Characteristics File A. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  4. Japan-Peru Relations (Basic Data). Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
  5. Ethnic or cultural origin by gender and age: Canada, provinces and territories. Statistics Canada (October 26, 2022). Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  6. Agnote, Dario (October 11, 2006). A glimmer of hope for castoffs. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20061011f1.html. Retrieved August 9, 2016. 
  7. Ohno, Shun. Japanese diasporas: Unsung pasts, conflicting presents, and uncertain futures (2006)Routledge. p. 97. ISBN 978-1-135-98723-7. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  8. 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 No Title (in ja). Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (October 1, 2024). Retrieved August 26, 2025.
  9. Japan-Mexico RelationsMinistry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  10. Japan-Argentina Relations (Basic Data). Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  11. インドネシア基礎データ | 外務省. 外務省.
  12. ボリビア基礎データ | 外務省. 外務省.
  13. Japan-Netherlands Relations (Basic Data). mofa.go.jp.
  14. Japanese culture celebrated in Barcelona. catalannews.com (31 May 2018).
  15. 海外在留邦人数調査統計(平成28年要約版) (in ja) (October 1, 2015). p. 30. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
  16. Japan-Paraguay Relations. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
  17. Japan and Austria – 150 years of friendship. society.at (29 June 2020).
  18. ウルグアイ基礎データ | 外務省. 外務省.
  19. Japan-Cambodia Relations (Basic Data) (in en). Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan). Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  20. Japan-Ireland Relations (Overview). mofa.go.jp.
  21. コロンビア基礎データ | 外務省. 外務省.
  22. Tabiiyete Göre Yabancı Nüfus (in tr)Turkish Statistical Institute. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
  23. 2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: JapanUnited States Department of State. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  24. Shinto, Buddhism and the Japanese belief systemInside Japan Tours. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  25. The six countries in the world with the most 'convinced atheists'. The Independent. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
  26. Japan - People - Encyclopedia Britannica
  27. 27.0 27.1 Statistics Bureau Home Page/Population Estimates Monthly Report. www.stat.go.jp. Retrieved 2025-11-06.
  28. Minahan, James B.. Ethnic Groups of North, East, and Central Asia: An Encyclopedia (in en) (2014-02-10)ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-61069-018-8.
  29. What’s in a Name? Mixed Race and Identity in Japan (in en). nippon.com (2018-12-11). Retrieved 2025-11-06.