Origins & History
The Japanese people emerged from a mixture of Jomon (Paleolithic hunter-gatherers) and Yayoi (Bronze Age migrants from the Asian mainland) populations, beginning around 300 BCE. This blend, layered with later cultural influences from Korea and China, produced a distinct ethnic identity closely tied to the Japanese archipelago. The Japanese language, Shinto religion, and unique writing system evolved largely in isolation over subsequent centuries.
Geographic Distribution
Approximately 125 million ethnic Japanese live in Japan today, forming about 98 percent of the country's population. This makes Japan one of the most ethnically homogeneous nations in the developed world. Minority groups such as the Ainu (indigenous to Hokkaido) and Ryukyuans (native to Okinawa) are sometimes considered distinct.
Diaspora & Migration
The Japanese diaspora, known as Nikkei, numbers around 4 million worldwide. The largest overseas communities are in Brazil (over 2 million), the United States (particularly Hawaii and California), Peru, and Canada. Most of these communities descend from waves of emigration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
About This Map
This map shows global perceptions of where Japanese populations live. Given the concentration of ethnic Japanese in Japan itself, most crowd-sourced votes are expected to align with the country of origin, though diaspora patterns may also emerge.
The map above shows crowd opinion, not official demographic data. Vote on the main map to contribute your own perception of where Japanese populations live.