Japanese people 日本人
Shōtoku, Ieyasu, R. Hiratsuka, Akihito and Michiko, Samurai during Boshin War, Japanese family of today
Total population
About 130 million
Regions with significant populations
Japan      127 million
Significant Nikkei populations in:  Brazil 1,400,000 [16]  United States 1,200,000 [17]  Philippines 150,000  PRC 99,000 [18]  Canada 85,000 [19]  Peru 81,000 [20]  United Kingdom 51,000 [21]  Germany 35,000 [22]  Argentina 30,000 [23]  Australia 27,000 [24]  Singapore 23,000 [25]  Mexico 20,000 [26]  Taiwan 16,000 [27]  South Korea 15,000 [28]
Languages
Japanese, Ryukyuan, Ainu
Religion
Cultural/Secular Shinto - Buddhism view • talk • edit

The Japanese people (日本人, nihonjin, nipponjin^?) is the dominant ethnic group of Japan. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. ^{[1][2][3][4][5]} Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries are referred to as nikkeijin (日系人, nikkeijin^?). The Japanese diaspora, and its individual members known as, are Japanese emigrants from Japan and their descendants to other parts of the world The Japanese diaspora, and its individual members known as, are Japanese emigrants from Japan and their descendants to other parts of the world The term "Japanese people" may also be used in some contexts to refer to a locus of ethnic groups including the Yamato people, Ainu people, and Ryukyuans. The are the dominant native Ethnic group of Japan. It is a term that came to be used around the late 19th century to distinguish the residents of the Mainland ʔáinu (also called Ezo in historical texts are an ethnic group indigenous to Hokkaidō, the Kuril Islands, and much of Sakhalin. Ryukyuans ( Japanese: 琉球民族 Ryūkyū minzoku; Japanese Gairaigo based on Uchinaguchi ウチナンチュ Uchinanchu) are the Indigenous

Contents 1 Culture 1.1 Language 1.2 Religion 1.3 Literature 1.4 Arts 2 Origins 2.1 Paleolithic era 2.2 Jōmon and Ainu people 2.3 Yayoi people 2.4 Controversy 3 Japanese colonialism 4 Japanese living abroad 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

Culture

Language

Main article: Japanese language

The Japanese language is a Japonic language that is usually treated as a language isolate, although it is also related to the Okinawan language (Ryukyuan). is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities The Japonic languages or Japanese-Ryukyuan languages is a Language family that descended from a common ancestral language known as Proto-Japonic or A language isolate, in the absolute sense is a Natural language with no demonstrable genealogical (or "genetic" relationship with other living languages that is The Japanese language has a tripartite writing system based upon Chinese characters. The modern Japanese writing system uses three main scripts Kanji, characters of Chinese origin, Hiragana A Chinese character, also known as a Han character ( is a Logogram used in writing Chinese (hanzi Japanese ( Domestic Japanese people use primarily Japanese for daily interaction. The adult literacy rate in Japan exceeds 99%;^[6] however, this may not accurately reflect functional literacy rates due to the complex nature of the Japanese writing system. ^[7]

Religion

Main article: Religion in Japan

Japanese religion has traditionally been syncretic in nature, combining elements of Buddhism and Shinto. The primary religions in Japan are Buddhism and Shintō (神道 " the way of the gods " Syncretism consists of the attempt to reconcile disparate or contradictory beliefs often while melding practices of various schools of thought Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices is the native religion of Japan and was once its State religion. Shinto, a polytheistic religion with no book of religious canon, is Japan's native folk religion. Polytheism is belief in or worship of multiple Gods (usually assembled in a pantheon) together with associated Mythology and Rituals Shinto was one of the traditional grounds for the right to the throne of the Japanese imperial family, and was codified as the state religion in 1868 (State Shinto was abolished by the American occupation in 1945). At the end of World War II, Japan was occupied by the Allied Powers, led by the United States with contributions also from Australia, British Mahayana Buddhism came to Japan in the sixth century and evolved into many different sects. Mahayana ( Sanskrit: mahāyāna, Devanagari: महायान 'Great Vehicle' is one of the two main existing schools of Buddhism and a term for Today the largest form of Buddhism among Japanese people is the Jodo Shinshu sect founded by Shinran. also known as Shin Buddhism is a school of Pure Land Buddhism. Shinran 親鸞 ( May 21, 1173 – January 16, 1263) was a Japanese Buddhist monk who was born in Hino (now a part of Fushimi,

Most Japanese people (84% to 96%)^[8] profess to believe in both Shinto and Buddhism. is the native religion of Japan and was once its State religion. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices The Japanese people's religious concerns are mostly directed towards mythology, traditions, and neighborhood activities rather than as the single source of moral guidelines for one's life. The word mythology (from the Greek grc μυθολογία mythología, meaning "a story-telling a legendary lore" The word tradition comes from the Latin traditionem acc of traditio which means "a giving up delivering up surrendering" and is used in a number of Confucianism or Taoism is sometimes considered the basis for morality. Confucianism ( is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of the fifth century B Taoism (pronounced /ˈdaʊɪzəm/ or /ˈtaʊɪzəm/ also spelled '''Daoism''') refers to a variety of related Philosophical and Religious traditions

Literature

Main article: Japanese literature

Certain genres of writing originated in and are often associated with Japanese society. These include the haiku, tanka, and I Novel, although modern writers generally avoid these writing styles. is a form of Japanese poetry. Previously called See Waka and Tanka (disambiguation for other usages Waka (和歌 or Yamato uta is a genre of Japanese poetry I-Novel (私小説 Watakushi shōsetsu or Shishōsetsu is a Literary genre in Japanese literature used to describe writing about oneself Historically, many works have sought to capture or codify traditional Japanese cultural values and aesthetics. Some of the most famous of these include Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji (1021), about Heian court culture; Miyamoto Musashi's The Book of Five Rings (1645), concerning military strategy; Matsuo Bashō's Oku no Hosomichi (1691), a travelogue; and Jun'ichirō Tanizaki's essay "In Praise of Shadows" (1933), which contrasts Eastern and Western cultures. Murasaki Shikibu ( 紫[[wikt 式|式]] 部; c 973&ndashc 1014 or 1025 or Lady Murasaki as she is sometimes known in English was a Japanese is a classic work of Japanese literature attributed to the Japanese noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu in the early eleventh century around the peak of the Heian Period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. (c 1584– June 13 ( Japanese calendar: May 19), 1645 also known as Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke, or is a text on Kenjutsu and the Martial arts in general written by the Samurai warrior Miyamoto Musashi circa 1645. was the most famous poet of the Edo period in Japan During his lifetime Bashō was recognized for his works in the collaborative haikai no renga form today meaning "Narrow road to/of the interior" translated alternately as The Narrow Road to the Deep North and The Narrow Road to the Interior was a Japanese author, one of the major writers of modern Japanese literature, and perhaps the most popular Japanese novelist after Natsume Sōseki is the title of a short book on Aesthetics by the Japanese Author Jun'ichirō Tanizaki.

Following the opening of Japan to the West in 1854, some works of this style were written in English by natives of Japan; they include Bushido: The Soul of Japan by Nitobe Inazo (1900), concerning samurai ethics, and The Book of Tea by Okakura Kakuzo (1906), which deals with the philosophical implications of the Japanese tea ceremony. The Black Ships (in Japanese, 黒船 kurofune) was the name given to Western vessels arriving in Japan between the 15th and 19th centuries Bushido The Soul of Japan written by Inazo Nitobe is along with the classic text Hagakure by Tsunetomo Yamamoto, a study of the 1 September 1862 - 15 October 1933) was a Christian, agricultural economist author educator diplomat and politician during is the term for the military nobility of Pre-industrial Japan. The Book of Tea was written by Okakura Kakuzo in the early 20th century Okakura Kakuzō (岡倉覚三 February 14, 1862 - September 2, 1913; also known as 岡倉 天心 Okakura Tenshin) was a Japanese The Japanese tea ceremony is called chanoyu (茶の湯 lit "tea hot-water" or also chadō or sadō (ja Western observers have often attempted to evaluate Japanese society as well, to varying degrees of success; one of the most well-known and controversial works resulting from this is Ruth Benedict's The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (1946). Ruth Benedict (born Ruth Fulton, June 5, 1887 – September 17, 1948) was an American Anthropologist. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (ISBN 0618619593 is an influential Ethnography written by Ruth Benedict after the defeat of the Japanese in World

Twentieth-century Japanese writers recorded changes in Japanese society through their works. Some of the most notable authors included Natsume Sōseki, Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, Osamu Dazai, Yasunari Kawabata, Fumiko Enchi, Yukio Mishima, and Ryotaro Shiba. was the Pen name of, who is widely considered to be the foremost Japanese novelist of the Meiji Era (1868-1912 was a Japanese author, one of the major writers of modern Japanese literature, and perhaps the most popular Japanese novelist after Natsume Sōseki ( June 19 1909 – June 13 1948) was a Japanese author who is considered one of the foremost fiction writers of 20th-century Japan was a Japanese Short story writer and novelist whose spare lyrical subtly-shaded prose won him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1968 the first Japanese author was the Pen-name of one of the most prominent women writers in Showa period Japan. was the pseudonym of, a Japanese author poet and born in Osaka, Japan, was a Japanese author best known for his novels about historical events in Japan and on the Northeast Asian continent and his historical In contemporary Japan, popular authors such as Ryu Murakami, Haruki Murakami, and Banana Yoshimoto are highly regarded. is a Japanese Novelist and filmmaker. Biography Born as Ryūnosuke Murakami (村上 龍之助 is a popular contemporary Japanese Writer and Translator. His work has been described by the Virginia Quarterly Review as "easily accessible is the Pen name of Mahoko Yoshimoto (吉本 真秀子 Yoshimoto Mahoko) a Japanese contemporary Writer.

Arts

Main articles: Japanese art and Japanese architecture

Decorative arts in Japan date back to prehistoric times. Japanese art covers a wide range of art styles and media including ancient pottery sculpture in wood and bronze ink painting on silk and paper and a myriad of other types of works of has as long a history as any other aspect of Japanese culture. Jōmon pottery includes examples with elaborate ornamentation. The is the time in Japanese prehistory from about 14000 BC to 400 BC. In the Yayoi period, artisans produced mirrors, spears, and ceremonial bells known as dōtaku. The is an era in the history of Japan from about 500 BC to 300 AD. are Japanese bells smelted from relatively thin Bronze and richly decorated Later burial mounds, or kofun, preserve characteristic clay haniwa, as well as wall paintings. are megalithic Tombs or tumuli in Japan, constructed between early 3rd century and early 7th century. The are Terra cotta clay figures which were made for ritual use and buried with the dead as funerary objects during the Kofun period (3rd to 6th century AD of the History

Beginning in the Nara period, painting, calligraphy, and sculpture flourished under strong Confucian and Buddhist influences from Korea and China. The of the History of Japan covers the years from AD 710 to 794. is a form of Calligraphy, or artistic Writing, used for writing the Japanese language. The sculpture of Japan started from the clay figure Japanese sculpture received the influence of the Silk Road culture in the 5th century and received a strong influence from Chinese Among the architectural achievements of this period are the Hōryū-ji and the Yakushi-ji, two Buddhist temples in Nara Prefecture. is a Buddhist temple in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Its full name is Hōryū Gakumonji (法隆学問寺 or Learning Temple is one of the most famous imperial and ancient Buddhist Temples in Japan, located in Nara. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices WikipediaWikiProject Japanese prefectures for guidelines --> is a prefecture in the Kinki region on Honshū Island, Japan After the cessation of official relations with the Tang dynasty in the ninth century, Japanese art and architecture gradually became less influenced by China. The Tang Dynasty ( Middle Chinese: dhɑng (June 18 618&ndashJune 4 907 was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by Extravagant art and clothing was commissioned by nobles to decorate their court life, and although the aristocracy was quite limited in size and power, many of these pieces are still extant. After the Todai-ji was attacked and burned during the Gempei War, a special office of restoration was founded, and the Todai-ji became an important artistic center. is a Buddhist temple complex located in the city of Nara, Japan. The ( 1180 &ndash 1185) were a Conflict between the Taira and Minamoto clans and in late- Heian period Japan. The leading masters of the time were Unkei and Kaikei. Unkei (運慶 1151 – 1223 was a Japanese sculptor of the Kei school, which flourished in the Kamakura period. Kaikei (快慶 was a Japanese Busshi (sculptor of Buddha statue) of Kamakura period, known alongside Unkei.

Painting advanced in the Muromachi period in the form of ink and wash painting under the influence of Zen Buddhism as practiced by such masters as Sesshū Tōyō. The Muromachi period ( Japanese: 室町時代 Muromachi-jidai, also known as the Muromachi era, the Muromachi bakufu, the Ashikaga era Ink and wash painting is an East Asian type of Brush painting also known as wash painting or by its Japanese name sumi-e (墨絵 Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism, referred to in Chinese as Chan. or often also simply Sesshū, 1420-1506 was one of the most prominent masters of Suibokuga (ink painting and a Rinzai Zen Buddhist Zen Buddhist tenets were also elaborated into the tea ceremony during the Sengoku period. A tea ceremony is an Asian ritualised form of making Tea. The term generally refers to the Japanese tea ceremony. During the Edo period, the polychrome painting screens of the Kano school were made influential thanks to their powerful patrons (including the Tokugawas). The, also referred to as the Tokugawa period (徳川時代 Tokugawa-jidai) is a division of Japanese history running from 1603 to 1868 The was a powerful Daimyo family of Japan. They descended from Emperor Seiwa (850-880 and were a branch of the Minamoto clan (Seiwa Genji by the Popular artists created ukiyo-e, woodblock prints for sale to commoners in the flourishing cities. "pictures of the floating world" is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints (or Woodcuts) and Paintings produced between the 17th Pottery such as Imari ware was highly valued as far away as Europe. Imari porcelain is the European collectors' name for Japanese porcelain wares made in the town of Arita, in the former Hizen Province, northwestern Kyūshū

In theater, Noh is a traditional, spare dramatic form that developed in tandem with kyogen farce. or is a major form of classic Japanese musical Drama that has been performed since the 14th century In stark contrast to the restrained refinement of noh, kabuki, an "explosion of color," uses every possible stage trick for dramatic effect. is a form of traditional Japanese theatre. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate Make-up worn by some of its performers Plays include sensational events such as suicides, and many such works were performed in both kabuki and bunraku puppet theaters. also known as Ningyō jōruri (ja 人形浄瑠璃 is a form of traditional Japanese Puppet theater founded in Osaka in 1684

Since the Meiji Restoration, Japan has absorbed elements of Western culture. The, also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, or Renewal, was a chain of events that led to enormous changes in Japan 's political and social structure Its modern decorative, practical and performing arts works span a spectrum ranging from the traditions of Japan to purely Western modes. Products of popular culture, including J-pop, manga, and anime have found audiences around the world. J-pop is an abbreviation of Japanese pop. It refers to Japanese popular musicians and was coined by the Japanese media to distinguish Japanese musicians from foreign musicians ˈmɑŋgə is the Japanese word for Comics (sometimes called komikku コミック and print Cartoons In their modern form manga date from shortly (anime in Japanese,

Origins

See also: History of Japan

A recent study by Michael F. The written history of Japan begins with brief references in the 1st century AD Twenty-Four Histories, a collection of Chinese historical texts Hammer has shown genetic similarity to a variety of populations in Asia. ^[9] This and other genetic studies have also claimed that Y-chromosome patrilines crossed from Asian mainland into the Japanese Archipelago, where they currently comprise a significant fraction of the extant male lineages of the Japanese population. ^[10] These patrilines seem to have experienced extensive genetic admixture with the long-established Jōmon period populations of Japan. The is the time in Japanese prehistory from about 14000 BC to 400 BC. ^[9]

A recent study for the origins of Japanese people is based on the "dual structure model" proposed by Hanihara in 1991. ^[11] He concludes that modern Japanese lineages consist of the original Jōmon people and immigrants from the Yayoi period. The is an era in the history of Japan from about 500 BC to 300 AD. The Jōmon people originated in southeast Asia, moving to the Japanese Archipelago in the Palaeolithic period. The is the time in Japanese prehistory from about 14000 BC to 400 BC. The, which forms the Country of Japan, extends roughly from northeast to southwest along the northeastern coast of the Eurasia mainland washing upon the northwestern The term Paleolithic (or Palaeolithic) (from Greek παλαιός palaios, " Old " and λίθος Lithos, "stone"

Another southeast Asian group moved to northeastern Asia. The population of this group increased in the Neolithic period and some moved to the archipelago during the Yayoi period. The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos The is an era in the history of Japan from about 500 BC to 300 AD. The miscegenation prevailed in Kyūshū, Shikoku and Honshū islands but not in Okinawa and Hokkaido, respectively represented by the Ryukyuan and Ainu people. or Kyushu is the third-largest Island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. is the smallest (225 km long and between 50 and 150 km wide and least populous (4141955 as of 2005 of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū or Honshu is the largest Island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of is one of Japan 's southern prefectures, and consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over 1000 km long which extends southwest from Kyūshū WikipediaWikiProject Japanese prefectures for guidelines --> formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan 's ʔáinu (also called Ezo in historical texts are an ethnic group indigenous to Hokkaidō, the Kuril Islands, and much of Sakhalin. This theory was based on the study of the development of human bones and teeth. The comparison of mitochondrial DNA between Jōmon people and medieval Ainu also supports the theory. Mitochondrial DNA ( mtDNA) is the DNA located in Organelles called mitochondria.

Masatoshi Nei opposed the "dual structure model" and alleged that the genetic distance data shows the origin of Japanese was in northeast Asia, moving to Japan perhaps more than thirty thousand years ago. For 'genetic distance' in the context of a Genetic map, see Centimorgan Genetic distance is a measure of the dissimilarity of genetic ^[12]

The study on the population change in the ancient period was also discussed. The estimated number of people in the late Jōmon period numbered about one hundred thousand, compared to that of theNara period which had a population of about three million. The of the History of Japan covers the years from AD 710 to 794. Taking the growth rates of hunting and agricultural societies into account, it is calculated that about one and half million immigrants moved to Japan in the period. This figure seems to be overestimated and is being recalculated today.

Paleolithic era

Archaeological evidences indicates that Stone Age people lived in the Japanese Archipelago during the Paleolithic period between 39,000 and 21,000 years ago^{[13] [14]}. Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric time period during which Humans widely used stone for toolmaking The term Paleolithic (or Palaeolithic) (from Greek παλαιός palaios, " Old " and λίθος Lithos, "stone" Japan was then connected to mainland Asia by at least one land bridge, and nomadic hunter-gatherers crossed to Japan from East Asia, Siberia, and possibly Kamchatka. Nomadic people, (from the νομάδες nomádes, "those who let pasture herds" also known as nomads, are communities of people that A hunter-gatherer society is one whose primary subsistence method involves the direct procurement of edible plants and animals from the wild Foraging and Hunting Siberia (Сиби́рь Sibir) is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving Flint tools and bony implements of this era have been excavated in Japan^[15]. Chipped stone tools were made by Stone age peoples worldwide Paleolithic tools were relatively simple repeated small flakes being struck or pressed from a cobble

Jōmon and Ainu people

The world's oldest known pottery was developed by the Jōmon people in the Upper Paleolithic period, 14th millennium BCE. Pottery is the Ceramic ware made by potters It also refers to a group of materials that includes Earthenware, Stoneware The is the time in Japanese prehistory from about 14000 BC to 400 BC. The Upper Paleolithic (or Upper Palaeolithic) is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe Africa The name, "Jōmon" (縄文 Jōmon), which means "cord-impressed pattern", comes from the characteristic markings found on the pottery. The Jōmon people were Mesolithic hunter-gatherers, though at least one middle to late Jōmon site (Minami Mosote (南溝手, Minami Mosote^?), ca. The Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age was a period in the development of human technology in between the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age and the Neolithic or New Stone Age 1200-1000 BCE) had a primitive rice-growing agriculture. Rice is a Cereal foodstuff which forms an important part of the diet of many people worldwide and as such it is a staple food for many Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture They relied primarily on fish for protein. It is believed that the Jōmon had very likely migrated from North Asia or Central Asia and became the Ainu of today. North Asia or Northern Asia is sometimes defined as a Subregion of Asia consisting only of the Asian portion of Russia. Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south ʔáinu (also called Ezo in historical texts are an ethnic group indigenous to Hokkaidō, the Kuril Islands, and much of Sakhalin. Research suggests that the Ainu retain a certain degree of uniqueness in their genetic make-up, while having some affinities with different regional populations in Japan as well as the Nivkhs of the Russian Far East. The Nivkhs (also Nivkh, Nivkhi, or Gilyak; ethnonym Nivxi language нивхгу - Nivxgu are an indigenous ethnic group inhabiting the Russian Far East (Да́льний Восто́к Росси́и ˈdalʲnʲɪj vʌˈstok rʌˈsʲiɪ is a term that refers to the Russian part of the Far East, i Based on more than a dozen genetic markers on a variety of chromosomes and from archaeological data showing habitation of the Japanese Archipelago dating back 30,000 years, it is argued that the Jōmon actually came from northeastern Asia and settled on the islands far earlier than some have proposed. ^[16]

Yayoi people

Around 400-300 BCE, the Yayoi people began to enter the Japanese islands, intermingling with the Jōmon. The is an era in the history of Japan from about 500 BC to 300 AD. Most modern scholars say that the Yayoi emigrated from the southern part of the Korean peninsula to northern Kyūshū, though it has also been proposed that they came from southeastern China. or Kyushu is the third-largest Island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National ^[17] The Yayoi brought wet-rice farming and advanced bronze and iron technology to Japan. Rice is a Cereal foodstuff which forms an important part of the diet of many people worldwide and as such it is a staple food for many Bronze is any of a broad range of Copper alloys, usually with Tin as the main additive but sometimes with other elements such as Phosphorus Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 Although the islands were already abundant with resources for hunting and dry-rice farming, Yayoi farmers created more productive wet-rice paddy field systems. A paddy field is a flooded parcel of Arable land used for growing Rice and other semiaquatic crops. This allowed the communities to support larger populations and spread over time, in turn becoming the basis for more advanced institutions and heralding the new civilization of the succeeding Kofun Period. Institutions are structures and mechanisms of Social order and Cooperation governing the Behavior of a Set of Individuals A Civilization is a society in which large numbers of people share a variety of common elements

Controversy

Currently, the most well-regarded theory is that present-day Japanese are descendants of both the indigenous Jōmon people and the immigrant Yayoi people. The term Indigenous Peoples or autochthonous peoples can be used to describe any Ethnic group who inhabit a geographic region with which they have the earliest historical Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term The origins of the Jōmon and Yayoi peoples have often been a subject of dispute, but it is now widely accepted that the Jōmon people were very similar to the modern Ainu of northern Japan, and lived in Japan since the time of the last glacial age. ʔáinu (also called Ezo in historical texts are an ethnic group indigenous to Hokkaidō, the Kuril Islands, and much of Sakhalin. An ice age is a period of long-term reduction in the Temperature of the Earth 's surface and atmosphere resulting in an expansion of continental Ice sheets Han Chinese and Southeast Asian ethnic groups were originally thought to be the origin of the modern Japanese ethnic group. Han Chinese ( are an Ethnic group native to China and by most modern definitions the largest single Ethnic group in the world. Recently, however, both Japanese and non-Japanese academics predominantly argue that the Japanese are descended from both the Yayoi, who emigrated from the Korean peninsula, and the long-established native Jōmon people, with whom the Yayoi intermarried. A clear consensus has not been reached. ^[18]

Japanese colonialism

See also: Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere

During the Japanese colonial period of 1867 to 1945, the phrase "Japanese people" was used to refer not only to residents of the Japanese archipelago, but also to people from occupied territories who held Japanese citizenship, such as Taiwanese people and Korean people. The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere ( Kyūjitai: 大東亞共榮圈 Shinjitai: ja 大東亜共栄圏 Dai-tō-a Kyōeiken) was a concept The Empire of Japan ( {{unicode|Kyūjitai}}: ja 大日本帝國 Shinjitai: ja 大日本帝国 pronounced Dai Nippon Teikoku Taiwanese people ( may refer to individuals who either claim or are imputed Cultural identity focused on the island of Taiwan and/or the lands and territories which have The Korean people are an East Asian Ethnic group. Most Koreans speak the Korean language. The official term used to refer to ethnic Japanese during this period was "inland people" (内地人, naichijin^?). Such linguistic distinctions facilitated forced assimilation of colonized ethnic identities into a single Imperial Japanese identity. A region or society where several different groups are spontaneously assimilated is sometimes referred to as a Melting pot. ^[19]

After World War II, many Nivkh people and Orok people from southern Sakhalin who held Japanese citizenship were forced to repatriate to Hokkaidō by the Soviet Union. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Nivkhs (also Nivkh, Nivkhi, or Gilyak; ethnonym Nivxi language нивхгу - Nivxgu are an indigenous ethnic group inhabiting the Not to be confused with the Oroch of Khabarovsk Krai and Oroqen of China Oroks ( Ороки in Russian; self History Japanese settlement on Sakhalin dates to at least the Edo period. WikipediaWikiProject Japanese prefectures for guidelines --> formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan 's The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 However, many Sakhalin Koreans who had held Japanese citizenship until the end of the war were left stateless by the Soviet occupation. Sakhalin Koreans ( Russian: Сахалинские корейцы/ Sakhalinskie Koreytsi or Корейцы Сахалина/ Koreytsi Sakhalina; Korean ^[20]

Japanese living abroad

See also: Japanese diaspora

The term nikkeijin (日系人, nikkeijin^?) is used to refer to Japanese people who either emigrated from Japan or are descendants of a person who emigrated from Japan. The Japanese diaspora, and its individual members known as, are Japanese emigrants from Japan and their descendants to other parts of the world The usage of this term excludes Japanese citizens who are living abroad, but includes all descendants of nikkeijin who lack Japanese citizenship regardless of their place of birth.

Emigration from Japan was recorded as early as the 12th century to the Philippines, but did not become a mass phenomenon until the Meiji Era, when Japanese began to go to the United States, Canada, Peru, Brazil and Argentina. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP The, or Meiji era, denotes the 45-year reign of the Meiji Emperor, running in the Gregorian calendar, from 23 October 1868 to 30 July The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. There was also significant emigration to the territories of the Empire of Japan during the colonial period; however, most such emigrants repatriated to Japan after the end of World War II in Asia. The Empire of Japan ( {{unicode|Kyūjitai}}: ja 大日本帝國 Shinjitai: ja 大日本帝国 pronounced Dai Nippon Teikoku The Pacific War was the part of World War II —and preceding conflicts—that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands and in East Asia, between ^[20]

According to the Association of Nikkei and Japanese Abroad, there are about 2. 5 million nikkeijin living in their adopted countries. The largest of these foreign communities are in the Brazilian states of São Paulo and Paraná. ( is a state in Brazil. It is the major industrial and economic powerhouse of the Brazilian economy Other meanings Paraná Argentina, Paraná River Paraná (paɾaˈna is one of the states of Brazil, There are also significant cohesive Japanese communities in the Philippines, Peru, Argentina and in the American states of Hawaiʻi, California and Washington. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the Separately, the number of Japanese citizens living abroad is over one million according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The is a Japanese government ministry The Minister for Foreign Affairs is the Cabinet member in charge There is also a small group of Japanese descendants living in Caribbean countries such as Cuba and the Dominican Republic where hundreds of these immigrants were brought in by the dictator Rafael L. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with Trujillo in the 30's.

See also

Ethnic issues in Japan Foreign-born Japanese Japantown List of Japanese people Nihonjinron

Demographics of Japan Ainu people Burakumin Dekasegi Ryukyuan people Yamato people

References

External links

• CIA The World Fact Book 2006
• The Association of Nikkei & Japanese Abroad
• Discover Nikkei- Information on Japanese emigrants and their descendants
• Jun-Nissei Literature and Culture in Brazil
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (English)
• The National Museum of Japanese History (English)
• Japanese society and culture
• Dekasegi and their issues living in Japan (Portuguese) (Japanese)

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