Filipinos of Japanese descent
| Total population | |
|---|---|
|
Japanese nationals 17,702 (Oct. 2013) People of Japanese descent 20,000 - 200,000 (2006) |
|
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Metro Manila, Davao, the Visayas, Ilocos Norte, La Union | |
| Languages | |
| Japanese, Filipino, other Philippine languages, English | |
| Religion | |
| Roman Catholicism, Buddhism, Shinto | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Japanese people, foreign-born Japanese, Japanese diaspora |
Japanese settlement in the Philippines refers to the branch of the Japanese diaspora having historical contact with and having established themselves in what is now the Philippines. This also refers to Filipino citizens of either pure or mixed Japanese descent currently residing in the country, the latter a result of intermarriages between the Japanese and local populations.
Contact with the Philippine islands began when Japanese traders/merchants first settled in the archipelago during the 12th century AD. Notable settlements of the period include Bolinao and Agoo along Lingayen Gulf. The Japanese were trading with Philippine kingdoms well before the Spanish period, mainly in pottery and gold. Historical records show that Japanese traders, especially those from Nagasaki, frequently visited the Philippine shores and bartered Japanese goods for such Filipino products as gold and pearls. In the course of time, shipwrecked Japanese sailors, pirate traders, and immigrants settled in the Philippines and intermarried with the early Filipinos. When the Spaniards reached the island of Luzon in 1571, they found Japanese colonies and settlements in Manila and in some parts of the Cagayan Valley, the Cordillera region, Lingayen, Bataan, and Catanduanes Island. The relatively light complexion of the natives of and Banaue is probably a result of the early contacts between the Japanese and other islanders from south of Japan and the natives of the Cordillera. But the ancient Philippines had a very rich tradition of pottery as verified by the finds at Ayub Cave in South Cotabato and other parts of the islands. Japanese texts mentioned trading expeditions to the island of Rusun (Luzon) for the highly prized Rusun and Namban jars. Japanese texts were very specific about these jars being made in Luzon. The Tokiko, for example, calls the Rusun and Namban jars, Ru-sun tsukuru or Lu-sung ch'i (in Chinese), which means simply "made in Luzon." These Rusun jars, which had rokuru (wheel mark), were said to be more precious than gold because of its ability to act as tea canisters and enhance the fermentation process.
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Wikipedia