Japanese in the Philippines

Japanese settlement in the Philippines or Japanese Filipino, refers to the branch of the Japanese diaspora having historical contact with and having established themselves in what is now the Philippines.[4] 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.[5]

Japanese Filipino, Japanese people in the Philippines
Japanese people living in the Philippines as portrayed in Boxer codex 1590
Total population
Japanese nationals
17,702 (Oct. 2013)[1]
People of Japanese descent
120,000[2] [3] (2006)
Regions with significant populations
Metro Manila, Davao, the Visayas, Ilocos Norte, La Union
Languages
Japanese, Filipino, other Philippine languages, English
Religion
Roman Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, Shinto
Related ethnic groups
Japanese people, foreign-born Japanese, Japanese diaspora

History

Classical period
Red-seal ships transported Japanese merchants

Movements and migrations

In Japan, various Philippine peoples have settled the southern areas of the archipelago from the prehistory and this is attested in official Japanese histories such as the Nihongi. [6]. The primary movements of proto-Filipinos into Japan being those of the Kumaso, Azumi and Hayato peoples[7][8][9] , who were Austronesian-speaking tribes from the northern Philippines and Taiwan who settled southern Kyushu and the majority of the Ryukyuan archipelago in the neolithic period and maintained distinct Austronesian cultures similar to those in Luzon until they were assimilated into Yamato society in the Nara period. Their DNA make up a considerable amount of modern Yamato Japanese DNA today and aspects of Philippine culture such as houses on stilts, fish fermentation in vinegar and rice, and light construction materials, the wearing of loincloths and tattooing among men, are still seen as hallmarks of traditional Japanese culture.[10]

Settlements

After the establishment of a single state within Japan, official trade records began between Japan and the Philippine islands in the Heian and Muromachi period (8th to 12th centuries CE). In the case of the proto-Okinawan chiefdoms, this was much earlier, and ties in with shared migration patterns of Okinawans and Austronesian areas like the Philippines stretching back to the neolithic period. Notable settlements of the period include Bolinao and Agoo along Lingayen Gulf.[11][12] The Japanese were trading with Philippine kingdoms well before the Spanish period, mainly in pottery and gold.[13] 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 Bontoc 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.[14]

Pottery trade
Traditional tapayan jar, used as a lawn ornament, water jar, or for bread baking, from the Philippines
Painted Tea-leaf jar, used as a tea canister, with wisteria designs by Nonomura Ninsei, Edo period Japan

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. In the 15th century AD, tea-jars were brought by the shōguns to Uji in Kyoto from the Philippines which was used in the Japanese tea ceremony.[15]

Many of the important pottery traditions that spread into the Oceania region had their counterparts in the Philippines including the well-known Lapita culture. This quote from American anthropologist Wilhelm Solheim illustrates the matter:

I hypothesize that the Sa-huynh Kalanay and Lapita pottery traditions had a common origin somewhere in the Palawan-Sarawak-Sulu Sea-Sulawesi area and that it was at this point in time and space that a second and main stage in the spread of the Austronesian languages began.[16]

Japanese Filipina woman (left) wearing terno gowns (1920)

The finds at Ayub Cave in South Cotabato confirmed the great pottery tradition of the Philippines. In terms of quantity and quality, these artifacts have no match in Southeast Asia for such an early time period. One interesting question is whether or not the Philippines ever developed an export industry for pottery. Generally it is known that the Thais had developed quite a flourishing industry, which is sometimes considered unique in Southeast Asia. However, it is well documented that the Philippines was in fact a major destination of pottery buyers from the islands of Japan at least. In the Tokiko it mentions that all Rusun jars had this marking known as the rokuru (wheel mark). Those familiar with Philippine ethnography will know that this spiral is commonly used by many of the Philippine tribes. The following symbols were used to identify which kiln was used to make the jar: identified "Imbe" jars, meant jars coming from Bizen kiln, and mark three times meant a canister from the same oven. A jar with this mark is said to be made of Namban clay. This marking corresponds to the syllable la in Pampanga; Tagbanua for ka ("Chinese Pottery," Field Museum of Natural History-Anth., vol.xii, Jul.1912) Of course, the symbol for la can also be the same as that for lu, and so this might correspond to the symbol said to stand for Lu in Rusun-no kokuji (Luzon national writing). According to the Tokiko, certain types of Rusun jars were distinguished by this character. De Morga mentions that Japanese traders were still coming in large numbers for these jars during his time, and that they were willing to spend great sums for them. Apparently work on these jars continued in the North, possibly among the unconquered Igorots, for De Morga had no knowledge of such current production. Later, the knowledge may have again trickled down to Vigan, where a flourishing industry of Burnay jar manufacture survives to this day. Although the Japanese described very high quality jars coming from the Philippines, not all were of elegant nature. In fact, De Morga had some disdain for some of the jars that the Japanese were buying, so they could have been similar to the well-known balanga and other jars in use today. These jars are generally handed down as heirlooms and are noted for their qualities in enhancing the fermentation process. Possibly one of the Japanese uses for the Rusun jars was fermentation of products like Kombucha and Umeboshi plums. For instance, a Japanese family in rural Japan stated that their family used old Rusun jars for exactly this purpose up to this day.[11]

A native Filipina with Chinese, American / European and Japanese settlers in the Philippines, (1900)

Fishing technologies

The Filipinos were skilled in all types of fishing and fisheries. In the south, the basnig, a Viking-like ship, was and is the vessel of choice among the Bisayans for ocean fishing. The salambao is a type of raft that utilizes a large fishing net which is lowered into the water via a type of lever made of two criss-crossed poles. Night fishing was accomplished with the help of candles similar to the copal of Mexico. These candles were made from a particular type of resin. Fish corrals, like the ones still used today, were also employed by the ancient Filipino. However, the area in which the Filipino most astonished Westerners was in their advanced aquaculture:

To the early Spaniards, the pisciculture of the Filipinos was regarded almost as a new art, so much more advanced it was than fish breeding methods in Europe.[17]

Many have looked to Japan for an explanation for these advanced methods. The roe was transplanted to safe pens for incubation and to guard the small fry from predators. Only when sufficiently mature to fend for themselves were they released back into the wild. These days this method is practiced by fisheries throughout the world. Before the Spanish came, the Filipinos also only used large mesh nets when fishing in rivers, lakes or in the sea. This ecologically sound practice protected the young ensuring future good catches. However, the competition brought by the Spaniards resulted in the use of such small mesh nets that the Spanish themselves eventually had to regulate the nets to prevent the destruction of the fisheries. Other Pre-Spanish Filipino industries included the manufacture of liquors and vinegars like tuba, basi, etc., the production of hides for export to Japan, export of edible bird's nests from Northern Palawan to China, the raising and trade of civet cats, the manufacture of gunpowder, the making of wax for export to China, and the making of cotton stockings for export.[13]

Japanese Rickshaw, with Geisha and Coolie in Manila (1898)

Spanish era

The Japanese population in the Philippines has since included descendants of Japanese Catholics and other Japanese Christians who fled from the religious persecution imposed by the Tokugawa shogunate during the Edo period and settled during the colonial period from the 17th century until the 19th century. A statue of daimyō Ukon Takayama, who was exiled to the Philippines in 1614 because he refused to disvow his Christian beliefs, stands a patch of land across the road from the Post Office building in the Paco, Manila. In the 17th century, the Spaniards referred to the Paco Area as the 'Yellow Plaza' because of the more than 3,000 Japanese who resided there.[18] In the 16th and 17th centuries, thousands of Japanese people traders also migrated to the Philippines and assimilated into the local population.[19] pp. 52–3

Many of the Japanese men intermarried with Filipino women (including those of mixed or unmixed Chinese and Spanish descent), thus forming the new Japanese mestizo community.[20] A sizeable population settled in Manila, Davao, the Visayas and in the 1600s in Dilao, Paco, and Ilocos Norte Province. This hybrid group tend to be re-assimilated either into the Filipino or the Japanese communities, and thus no accurate denominations could be established, though their estimates range from 100,000 to 200,000. Many were killed or expelled after World War II because of their alleged collaboration with the Japanese Imperial Army (mostly as translator). Many Japanese mestizos tended to deny their Japanese heritage and changed their family names in order to avoid discrimination.

American period and the Post-WWII era
Japanese Filipinos hard at work in an office, Manila, Philippines (1930s)
Japanese Filipinos relaxing in a dormitory, Manila, Philippines (1930s)
Japanese Filipinos playing baseball in Pre-War Manila, Philippines (October 1933)
Japanese Filipino ("Hojins") WW2 collaborators meeting at the Japanese School in Manila (1942)
Imperial Japanese Army captures Manila on bicycle (1942)
Imperial Japanese Army captures Manila on motorcycle (1942)
Japanese immigration to pre-war Philippines (1920-1930s)
Japanese soldiers in Leyte, Philippines (1945)

During the American colonial era, the number of Japanese laborers working in plantations rose so high that in the 20th century, Davao soon became dubbed as a Ko Nippon Koku ("Little Japan" in Japanese) with a Japanese school, a Shinto shrine and a diplomatic mission from Japan. Prominent scholars and historian like Lydia Yu-Jose and Macario Tiu wrote extensively on the lively presence of Japanese migrants in pre-war Davao due to its noticeably thriving local economy predicated by a huge concentration of rubber, copra, and hemp plantations. Unsurprisingly so, when World War II broke out, it was reported that there were more than 21,000 Japanese residents in the Philippines with about 18,000 or more in Davao.[21] There is even a popular restaurant called "The Japanese Tunnel", which includes an actual tunnel built by the Japanese during World War II.[22]

Tokyo Bazaar, Manila, Philippines (1941)
Miyako Hotel & Tokyo Bazaar, Manila, Philippines (1941)
Kobe Bazaar in the G. Kobayashi Building, Manila, Philippines (1940)
Nippon Bazaar, Manila, Philippines (1941)
Nippon Bazaar & Yap Anton & Co., Inc., Cebu, Philippines (1930-40s)
Taisho Bazaar in the YMCA Building, Cebu, Philippines (1930-40s)
Osaka Bazaar in Manila, Philippines (1934)
Osaka Bazaar in Davao, Philippines (1936)

Davao in Mindanao had a large population of Japanese immigrants who acted as a fifth column, welcoming the Japanese invaders during World War II. These Japanese were disliked by the Chinese and hated by the Moros.[23] The Moros were judged as "fully capable of dealing with Japanese fifth columnists and invaders alike."[24] The Moros were to fight the Japanese invaders when they landed at Davao on Mindanao.[25][26][27][28][29][30] The Japanese went back to their ships at night to sleep since the Moros struck so much fear into them, even though the Moros were outnumbered by the Japanese.[31][32][33][34][35][36][37] For fear of discrimination, some fled to the mountains after World War II while many others changed their names in the attempts to assimilate. Many were also killed (c. 10,000 Japanese Mestizos and Japanese) while others were deported as an act of retaliation. Their Japanese identity may take on extremes, some have completely lost their Japanese identity while others have "returned" to Japan, the homeland of their forebears. There is also a number of contemporary Japanese-mestizos, not associated with the history of the earlier established ones, born either in the Philippines or Japan. These latter are the resultant of unions between Filipinos and recent Japanese immigrants to the Philippines or Japanese and immigrant Filipino workers in Japan. Most Japanese mestizos speak Tagalog and/or other Philippine languages. They may also be known as Japinos, although this term is considered derogatory by many. There are believed to be between 100,000 and 200,000 Japanese-mestizos in the country, but no accurate figure is currently available. Thousands of war-displaced ethnic Japanese still live in the country and are denied recognition as Japanese nationals in order to return to Japan.

Modern times
Statue of Luzon Sukezaemon at Sakai Citizens' Hall, Sakai, Japan
Statue of Dom Justo Takayama at Plaza Dilao, Manila, Philippines

The recent Japanese Filipinos are descendants of 1980s and 1990s Japanese settlers usually businesspeople, most of whom are men, and (mostly female) locals. Many are children of thousands of overseas Filipino workers, who went to Japan mostly as entertainers. They are in the Philippines also to learn English. As the Filipina mothers return to the Philippines, most take their children along with them.[38] A significant number in the U.S. today are the product of Filipino- and Japanese American intermarriages, mostly in California, Hawaii, or other U.S. states, or other U.S. territories in the Pacific, while others are Filipinos of Japanese ancestry who have migrated to the United States.

Several foundations today such as the Federation of Nikkeijin Kai Philippines & Manila Nikkeijin Kai exist throughout the country through the efforts of prosperous Japanese descendants and expatriates to assist Filipinos of Japanese ancestry to travel in Japan to trace their roots and visit relatives, and also charity purposes such as offering Long Term Resident visa and educational scholarships to out of school Japanese Filipino children. Similar organizations exist in the Philippines to commemorate and signify the historical settlement of Japanese Filipinos in the region. The Philippines also has the highest number of Japanese in the country than any other Southeast Asian country.

Japanese citizenship

The Supreme Court of Japan on June 4, 2008, ruled against a law that denied citizenship to children born out of wedlock to Japanese fathers and foreign mothers. It upheld the 2003 and 2005 separate suits (of 10 Japanese-Filipino children for Japanese citizenship), filed by Filipino mothers who proved the fathers of their children were Japanese. It affirmed the Tokyo District Court judgment that "the marital status of the parents had no bearing on nationality, and that denying the children citizenship violated constitutional guarantees of equality for all."[39] Mel Nuqui, executive director of the Development Action for Women Network (DAWN), stated that "the 30-year migration of Filipino entertainers to Japan produced 100,000 Japanese-Filipino children, but very few children were legally acknowledged by their Japanese fathers. DAWN assists Filipino entertainers and Japanese-Filipinos, by helping Japanese-Filipinos locate their fathers in Japan. In 2007, it called for registration of Japanese-Filipinos, and 1,313 Japanese-Filipinos in the Philippines registered (August to October in 2007). However, only 60 of the 1,313 children had been registered in Japan, and of 2,800 children (born out of wedlock from foreign mothers who reside in Japan), 2,000 had Japanese fathers.[40]

Education

Notable people
  • Miho Nishida - big winner of the second batch of Pinoy Big Brother: 737 housemates in 2015.
  • Fumiya Sankai - vlogger
  • Aiko Melendez - actress and former politician. 
  • Hikaru Minegishi -  footballer who plays mainly as a winger for Ceres–Negros of the Philippines Football League.
  • Dom Justo Takayama
  • Gardo Versoza - actor who has appeared in over forty movies and dozens of television shows.
  • Jiro Manio - former actor.
  • Mariel Rodriguez - commercial model, endorser, television host, VJ and actress.
  • Nina Kodaka - TV personality, host, actress & pianist who gained media attention as a finalist on the 5th season of StarStruck, a reality-TV talent show broadcast on GMA Network.
  • Romnick Sarmenta - actor best remembered as the five-year-old boy who played the role of Peping in the TV series Gulong ng Palad.
  • Satoshi Ōtomo - footballer who most recently played for Davao Aguilas in the Philippines Football League. 
  • Sayaka Akimoto - actress and singer who was a member of the Japanese idol girl group AKB48.
  • Ramon "Bong" Revilla, Jr. - actor, television presenter and politician, who is a Senator of the Philippines.
  • Alan Shirahama - performer, actor and DJ.
  • Loveli - fashion model and television personality.
  • Akihiro Sato - Japanese Brazilian model based in Philippines.
  • Anja Aguilar - recording artist and Grand Winner of Little Big Star Season 2 in 2006.
  • Gerphil Flores - classical crossover singer.
  • Tomohiko Hoshina - judoka.
  • Iwa Moto - actress, model and reality television personality. 
  • Maybelline Masuda - jiu-jitsu practitioner.
  • Daniel Matsunaga - model, actor, professional footballer, host and businessmam who became known in the Philippines by appearing in Cosmopolitan Philippines’ September 2009 "Cosmo Men" supplement.
  • Hikaru Minegishi - footballer who plays mainly as a winger for Ceres–Negros of the Philippines Football League.
  • Kintaro Miyagi - footballer who plays for the UP Fighting Maroons.
  • Artemio Murakami - professional golfer.
  • Kodo Nakano - judoka.
  • Enrique Ona - surgeon and public servant. 
  • Satoshi Ōtomo - footballer who most recently played for Davao Aguilas in the Philippines Football League.
  • Taki Saito -  actress.
  • Risa Sato - volleyball player.
  • Yuka Saso - professional golfer of Japanese descent. She created history for the Philippines at the 2018 Asian Games by winning the first ever gold medal for the Philippines in both women's individual and women's team event in Asian Games golf competitions.
  • Daisuke Sato - professional footballer
  • Edgar Sia - businessman. 
  • Wanda Tulfo Teo - travel agent who served as Secretary of the Philippines' Department of Tourism from July 2016 until her resignation in May 8, 2018.
  • Akiko Thomson - television host, journalistand retired swimmer.
  • Kiyomi Watanabe - judoka who has represented the Philippines in international competitions.
  • Michiko Yamamoto - screenwriter.
  • Mokomichi Hayami - actor, chef, TV presenter, entrepreneur, and model.
  • José Rizal - Filipino nationalist and polymathduring the tail end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines.
  • Maria Ozawa - actress, model and a former pornstar. 
  • Raffy Tulfo - broadcast journalist whose work focuses on government and private sector issues.
  • Kaede Ishiyama - MNL48 idol
  • Mara Lopez - actress and surfer
  • Fabio Ide
  • Osaka Bazaar in Manila, Philippines (1934)
  • Shoppers crowd Osaka Bazar during a Christmas Sale in Manila (October 1934)
  • Osaka Bazar Storefront, Manila, Philippines (October 1934)
  • Sundry vendors near Osaka Bazar, Manila, Philippines (May 1934)
  • Seiei Matsui & Employees of Osaka Boeki Kaisha (Osaka Bazar) disembark in either Manila or Davao in the Philippines (May 1934). Matsui, the general manager, is second from front.
  • Japanese Filipino wholesale office workers in Osaka Boeki Kaisha (Osaka Bazar), Manila, Philippines (1930s)
  • Japanese Filipino employees in a dorm under Osaka Boeki Kaisha (Osaka Bazar), Manila, Philippines (1930s)
  • Japanese Filipino employees of Osaka Boeki Kaisha (Osaka Bazar) play baseball in Pre-War Manila, Philippines (October 1933)
gollark: 32GB, no backups, overlarge files will be arbitrarily deleted.
gollark: mcc is multicast-chat and actually approaches the apioform density limit.
gollark: Which is also technically part of APIONET.
gollark: And a local IRC server.
gollark: The HNode™ has `mcc`.

See also

References
  1. Japan-Philippines relations : Basic Data, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan.
  2. Agnote, Dario (October 11, 2017). "A glimmer of hope for castoffs". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  3. Ohno, Shun (2006). "The Intermarried issei and mestizo nisei in the Philippines". In Adachi, Nobuko (ed.). Japanese diasporas: Unsung pasts, conflicting presents, and uncertain futures. p. 97. ISBN 978-1-135-98723-7.
  4. Manansala, Paul Kekai (5 September 2006). "Quests of the Dragon and Bird Clan: Luzon Jars (Glossary)".
  5. The Cultural Influences of India, China, Arabia, and Japan | Philippine Almanac Archived 2012-07-01 at the Wayback Machine
  6. Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A.D. 697, translated from the original Chinese and Japanese by William George Aston. Book VII, page 200ff. Tuttle Publishing. Tra edition (July 2005). First edition published 1972. ISBN 978-0-8048-3674-6
  7. 角林, 文雄「隼人 : オーストロネシア系の古代日本部族」、『京都産業大学日本文化研究所紀要』第3号、京都産業大学、1998年3月、 ISSN 13417207
  8. Kidder, Jonathan Edward (2007). Himiko and Japan's Elusive Chiefdom of Yamatai: Archaeology, History, and Mythology. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 9780824830359.
  9. Kakubayashi, Fumio. 隼人 : オーストロネシア系の古代日本部族' Hayato : An Austronesian speaking tribe in southern Japan.'. The bulletin of the Institute for Japanese Culture, Kyoto Sangyo University, 3, pp.15-31 ISSN 1341-7207
  10. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265385338_Japanese_and_Austronesian_An_Archeological_Perspective_on_the_Proposed_Linguistic_Links
  11. "Home Renovations". Archived from the original on 2014-10-19.
  12. Cortes, Rosario Mendoza (1991). A History of Pangasinan, 1572-1800. New Day.
  13. "Philippines History, Culture, Civilization and Technology, Filipino".
  14. Worcester, Dean C. (1906). "The Non-Christian Tribes of Northern Luzon". The Philippine Journal of Science. National Science Development Board
  15. Manansala, Paul Kekai (5 September 2006). "Quests of the Dragon and Bird Clan: Luzon Jars (Glossary)".
  16. "Cerramic Artist". hadrianmendozapottery.
  17. Jurado, Antonio María Regidor y; Mason, Joseph Warren Teets (1905). Commercial Progress in the Philippine Islands. Dunn & Chidgey. p. 9.
  18. "Japanese Christian". Philippines: Google map of Paco district of Manila, Philippines. Archived from the original on 2010-05-07. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  19. Leupp, Gary P. (26 December 2016). "Interracial Intimacy in Japan: Western Men and Japanese Women, 1543-1900". A&C Black – via Google Books.
  20. Archived 7 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  21. "Davao of the Past: A Reexamination from the South (Part I)". 12 September 2017.
  22. "A Little Tokyo Rooted in the Philippines". Philippines: Pacific Citizen. April 2007. Archived from the original on 2008-02-22. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  23. Curtis, Herbert (January 13, 1942). "Japanese Infiltration into Mindanao". The Vancouver Sun. p. 4.
  24. "80 Japanese Troop Ships Are Sighted Off Luzon" 1941, p. 7.
  25. AP 1941, p. 1.
  26. "SITUATION AT DAVAO OBSCURE AS JAPS LAND" 1941, p. 2.
  27. "THE JAPS SWARM AT DAVAO BUT THE SITUATION OBSCURE" 1941, p. 3.
  28. "Six Japanese Bombers In New Raid On Manila" 1941, p. 13.
  29. THE NEW YORK TIMES 1941, p. 1.
  30. "Large Force Is Attacking" 1941, p. 58.
  31. LEE 1942, p. 8.
  32. LEE 1942, p. 1.
  33. LEE 1942, p. 7.
  34. LEE 1942, p. 9.
  35. Lee 1942, p. 2.
  36. Lee 1942, p. 25.
  37. Lee 1942, p. 4.
  38. "Japanese-Filipino kids await fate, Top court to rule on nationality law tied to paternal recognition". Japan Times. Japan. June 4, 2008.
  39. children GMA NEWS.TV, Japan high court rules in favor of 'Japanese-Filipino' children
  40. abs-cbnnews.com, Thousands of 'Japanese-Filipinos' seen to benefit from Japan high court ruling
  41. "アジアの補習授業校一覧（平成25年4月15日現在）" (). Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Retrieved on February 13, 2015.
  42. Battad, Do (18 August 2012). "Make It Davao: Mindanao Kokusai Daigaku".
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