Japanese Spaniards
Encyclopedia
Japanese people in Spain consist largely of expatriate managers in Japanese corporations, as well as international students. There are also some people of Japanese ancestry
in Spain, including descendants of 17th-century migrants to Spain, as well as migrants from among Nikkei populations in Latin America
. According to Spain's National Statistical Institute
, 4,898 Japanese citizens
resided in the country ; Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs
gave a slightly higher figure of 6,717.
The first Japanese people to settle in Spain were the members of an embassy led by Hasekura Tsunenaga
. Instead of returning to Japan in 1617, six samurai remained in Coria del Río
, near Seville
. The surname Japón (old Spanish for "Japanese") is conserved among approximately 700 inhabitants of Coria del Río, identifying them as descendants of the members of Hasekura Tsunenaga's delegation.
Between 1970s and 1980s, Nikkeis—people of Japanese ancestry from various countries of Latin America
—settled in Spain, fleeing financial crises or political oppression in their home countries. Since the 1970s, many Japanese have also come to Spain as businesspeople and students. In 1966, there were only about 280 Japanese nationals in Spain, but this number grew to 2,824 by 1993.
Japanese diaspora
The Japanese diaspora, and its individual members known as , are Japanese emigrants from Japan and their descendants that reside in a foreign country...
in Spain, including descendants of 17th-century migrants to Spain, as well as migrants from among Nikkei populations in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. According to Spain's National Statistical Institute
Instituto Nacional de Estadística (Spain)
The National Institute of Statistics is the official organisation in Spain that collects statistics about demography, economy, and Spanish society. Every 10 years, this organisation conducts a national census. The last census took place in 2001....
, 4,898 Japanese citizens
Japanese nationality law
Japanese nationality is a legal designation and set of rights granted to those people who have met the federal criteria for citizenship by parentage or by naturalization...
resided in the country ; Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan)
The is a cabinet level ministry of Japan responsible for the country's foreign relations.The ministry is due to the second term of the third article of the National Government Organization Act , and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Establishment Act establishes the ministry...
gave a slightly higher figure of 6,717.
History
Hasekura Tsunenaga
Hasekura Rokuemon Tsunenaga or was a Japanese samurai and retainer of Date Masamune, the daimyo of Sendai....
. Instead of returning to Japan in 1617, six samurai remained in Coria del Río
Coria del Río
Coria del Río is a small town near Seville, on the shores of Guadalquivir river.It is popularly known because there are some descendants of the first-ever Japanese official envoy to Spain. In early 17th century, Daimyo Date Masamune of Sendai sent a delegation led by Hasekura Tsunenaga to Europe....
, near Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
. The surname Japón (old Spanish for "Japanese") is conserved among approximately 700 inhabitants of Coria del Río, identifying them as descendants of the members of Hasekura Tsunenaga's delegation.
Between 1970s and 1980s, Nikkeis—people of Japanese ancestry from various countries of Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
—settled in Spain, fleeing financial crises or political oppression in their home countries. Since the 1970s, many Japanese have also come to Spain as businesspeople and students. In 1966, there were only about 280 Japanese nationals in Spain, but this number grew to 2,824 by 1993.
Language
Nikkeis in Spain primarily speak Spanish; only a selected number can speak Japanese. In contrast, Japanese expatriates and their children speak Japanese as their primary language.Notable people
- Kiyoshi UematsuKiyoshi UematsuKiyoshi Uematsu is a Spanish judoka. His father is Japanese and his mother is Spanish.-Achievements:-References:* on JudoInside.com...
, Spanish judoka - Kenji UematsuKenji UematsuKenji Uematsu is a Spanish judoka.His father is Japanese and his mother is Spanish.-Achievements:-References:* on JudoInside.com...
, Spanish judoka - Yuu Shirota, actor and singer
- David SilvaDavid SilvaDavid Josué Jiménez Silva is a Spanish footballer who plays for Manchester City and the Spanish national team. Silva is capable of playing on the wing, as a traditional number 10 and sometimes as a supporting striker...
, professional footballer
Sources
|month=May|year=2009|accessdate=2009-10-19|url=http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/area/spain/data.html}}Further reading
- Clavería, Laura (2010), “Artistas japoneses en España: Una aproximación al caso de Cataluña”, Interasia Papers, Barcelona: Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona.