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Russians in Japan

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Russians in Japan
The Holy Resurrection Cathedral in Tokyo, founded by a Russian Orthodox priest, the same person who founded the Japanese Orthodox Church.
Total population
11,634 (in December 2023, only counting Russian citizens living in Japan)[1]
Regions with significant populations
Hakodate, Tokyo, Wakkanai, Kobe, Sapporo, Yokohama, Chiba
Languages
Russian • Japanese
Religion
Japanese Orthodox Church
Related ethnic groups
Russians in Korea

Russians in Japan (Japanese: 在日ロシア人, Zai-Nichi Roshia-jin; Russian: Русские в Японии, romanized: Russkije v Japonii) are Russian citizens living in Japan and Japanese nationals with Russian ethnicity or ancestry. The first recorded landing of Russians in Japan was in 1739 in Kamogawa, Chiba during the times of Japanese seclusion of the Edo period, not counting landings in Hokkaidō, which was not under Japanese administration at this time. In the 18th century, Russians were sometimes called "Red-haired Ainu" in Japan.[2]

As of December 2023, there were 11,634 Russian citizens holding residency in Japan.[1] According to Japan's Ministry of Justice, a majority of the Russian citizens residing in Japan are permanent residents.[3] Russians in Japan make up the largest Russian population in East Asia in total, exceeding the Russian population of other neighbouring countries like China and South Korea.

Russian missions

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The Russian Mission, or Orthodox Church of Russia in Japan, dates from 1861. A hospital had been previously built at Hakodate for Russians and Japanese. Nikolai Kasatkin was attached to it as chaplain with a church near the hospital. The hospital was destroyed by fire, though the church remained and Kasatkin stayed as a missionary at Hakodate, where he baptized a number of Japanese. In 1870 the Russian minister to Japan obtained a grant of a special territory as a branch of the Russian legation at Surugadai at the very center of Tokyo. Here Kasatkin established his residence and the center of the Orthodox Church. He began by training well-instructed men and native assistants, for which purpose he had an ordinary college and a school of philosophy

and theology; later on he also had a special school for young women. He preached his religion by means of carefully trained catechists and priests. From 1881 he also had a religious review, published twice monthly and a publication committee installed at his house published many books. In 1886, Kasatkin was consecrated bishop in Russia and in 1890 he completed the erection of his cathedral.

Kasatkin enjoyed a great personal esteem; he founded and governed everything pertaining to his mission. During the Russo-Japanese War the situation was very delicate, but the Christians, at least the greater number of them, did not abandon him. Even during this time he continued all his undertakings unmolested, his house being guarded by Japanese soldiers. Prior to that, he received from the Holy Synod 95,000 yen yearly, but during the Russo-Japanese War, these and other resources from Russia were greatly diminished, while on the other hand the price of everything in Japan increased. Kasatkin was compelled to diminish his expenses, to dismiss part of his staff and to exhort the Christians to contribute more generously to support their church.

After the victories of the Japanese over the Russian armies, the Christians leaders, after having agreed among themselves, declared to Kasatkin their intention to support themselves, independent of Russia. As Russia has its national church they wished to have also their Japanese National Church.

Nikolai Kasatkin

Little has been written concerning the work of the Russians in Japan; even in Russia, virtually no literature has been published in the matter. According to one Protestant reckoning, the Orthodox church numbered 30,166 baptized Christians; according to another only 13,000 (the last figure denotes perhaps practicing members). There were 37 native priests and 139 catechists. Expenses for church and evangelization in 1907 amounted to 55,279 yen; contributions of Christians, 10,711 yen; Churches or places of preaching, 265. Among the Russians, as among Protestants, and everywhere throughout Japan, the tendency was toward independence.[4]

Russian Revolution

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The Japan-Russia border was a major gateway for Russian Emigres to enter Japan

After the Russian Revolution and Russian Civil War, about 2,000,000 Russian refugees who did not accept Bolshevik rule entered mostly the United States and Europe. Some of them settled in the Home Islands of Japan. Traditionally these refugees have been known as White Russians, with the corresponding Japanese term being Hakkei-Roshiajin, a term which has been applied to all former residents of the former Russian Empire. Initially the majority of Russians lived in Tokyo and Yokohama. After the Great Kantō earthquake of 1923 a significant number of them moved to Kobe.

A white émigré family is depicted in the novel The Makioka Sisters by famed Japanese author Junichiro Tanizaki.

Contemporary Japan

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The site of a former Russian school in Tokyo, now used as commercial space

As of 2005, the statistics of Japanese government reported 37,000 Russians enter Japan yearly on average, not counting temporary landing permits of seamen and tourists. The number of Russians that stay in Japan longer than 90 days (the maximal duration of a temporary visa in Japan) is about 6,000. The Russian Embassy School in Tokyo serves Russian diplomat families in Tokyo.[5]

Racism

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Main article: Racism in Japan
See also: Anti-Russian sentiment

There were reports of Japanese men and women targeting against Russian citizens living in Japan and harassing them. One shop at least was slandered online and kept getting silent phone calls.[6] Around 89% of Japanese people sees Russia between very to somewhat unfavourably.[7] These discrimination and harassment against Russian residents residing in Japan became especially worse after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Up until 2012, Japan was the country that saw Russians unfavourably the most ever surveyed with 72% of Japanese citizens voting for Russia as unfavourable.[8]

Notable people

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Further information: Category:Japanese people of Russian descent and Category:Japanese people of Ukrainian descent

Fictional people

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See also

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An abandoned Russian village in Niigata, Japan

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b "在留外国人統計（旧登録外国人統計）" (in Japanese). Japanese Ministry of Justice. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  2. ^ The Making of Modern Japan. Harvard University Press. 2002. p. 261. ISBN 978-0-674-00991-2.
  3. ^ Exum, Anika Osaki (2023-02-21). "'We're all different': Russians in Japan reflect on year since Ukraine invasion". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2024-08-05.
  4. ^ From the public domain Catholic Encyclopedia.
  5. ^ https://www.mofa.go.jp/
  6. ^ "Editorial: Discrimination against Japan's Russian residents cannot be tolerated". Mainichi Daily News. 2022-04-25. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  7. ^ Poushter, Moira Fagan, Sneha Gubbala and Jacob (2024-07-02). "3. Views of Russia and Putin". Pew Research Center. Retrieved 2024-08-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ "International Affairs Archives". Pew Research Center. 2024-07-09. Retrieved 2024-08-23.

Sources

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  •  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Japan". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  • Sawada Kazuhiko, Nihon ni okeru hakkei-Roshia-jin no bunka-teki eikyo (Cultural impact of White Russians in Japan), in Naganawa Mitsuo and Sawada Kazuhiko, eds., Ikyo ni ikiru — Rai-Nichi Roshia-jin no sokuseki (Living in a foreign land: Traces of Russian residents in Japan) (Yokohama, 2001), 31–46; Zai Honpo gaikokujin ni kansuru tokei chosa zakken (Miscellaneous statistical data on foreign residents in Japan, vol. 1, K–3–7–0–15, Diplomatic Record Office, Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
  • Podalko, Petr E. "The Russian Community in Kobe: A Historical Overview." 青山国際政経論集 70 (2006): 103–127.
  • Podalko, Petr Ėduardovič. Japonija v sudʹbach rossijan: očerki istoriii carskoj diplomatii i rossijskoj diaspory v Japonii (Japan in Russian people's lives: Essays on the history of the Czarist diplomacy and the Russian diaspora in Japan). Moscow: Institut vostokovedenija RAN, 2004.
  • Nakamura Yoshikazu, Naganawa Mitsuo, Podaruko Pyōtoru, eds., Rainichi Roshiajin no sokuseki. Yokohama-shi: Seibunsha, 2008.
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