Filipinos in Japan (Japanese: 在日フィリピン人, Zainichi Firipinjin, Filipino: Mga Pilipino sa Hapon) are citizens of the Republic of the Philippines residing in Japan. As of December 2023 there were 322,046 Filipinos in Japan,[1] an increase of 23,306 from 309,943 of June 2023.[2]
Filipinos represent 9.4% of all foreign residents in Japan, the fourth-largest behind China, Vietnam and South Korea,[3] the same position they occupied in the previous year.[4]
In the year 2023, a total of 584,825 Filipinos entered Japan, a 516% increase from 113,221 of the previous year. Included in this 584,825 are 547,487 with Temporary Visitor visa for purposes such as tourism, business and visiting friends and relatives.[5]
Filipinos who have become Japanese citizens through naturalization, or children from Filipino-Japanese marriages, are called Filipino-Japanese. In 2022, 217 Filipinos acquired Japanese citizenship through naturalization, down from the previous years (237 in 2021 and 301 in 2020).[6]
Filipinos have a long history in Japan, and the majority of Filipinos have already become permanent residents or long-term residents, and many have integrated into Japanese society and acquired Japanese nationality.
In addition, due to the large number of marriages between Filipinos and Japanese, there have been many second-generation Japanese of Filipino descent and many are active in various fields in Japan. Although there are no statistics on the number of Filipino-Japanese people with Japanese nationality, it is thought that the number is quite large.
| Filipinos in Japan | |
|---|---|
| Total population | 322,046 (in December, 2023) |
| Prefectures with significant population | Aichi, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba |
| Languages | Filipino, English, Japanese, Cebuano |
| Religion | Predominantly Christianity, Minority: Buddhism, Islam |
Statistics
Population
As of the end of December 2022, there are 298,740 Filipinos who are medium- to long-term residents or permanent residents in Japan (4th out of 194 countries).
Status of residence
At the end of 2022, 228,945 Filipinos in Japan held resident statuses of Permanent Resident, long-term Resident, Spouse or Child of a Japanese, or Spouse or Child of a Permanent Residence. These kinds of resident statuses have no restrictions on working, and they account for 76% of Filipinos living in Japan.[7]
Among Filipinos with status of residence with work restrictions, 29,140 are Technical Intern Trainees, fourth among foreigners after Vietnam, China, and Indonesia, and 13,214 were Specified Skilled Workers.
“Technical Intern Trainee” indicates six different types of Technical Intern Trainee visa combined into one group. “Specified Skilled Worker” indicates Specified Skilled Worker 1 visa (there are yet no Filipinos with Specified Skilled Worker 2 visa). “Engineer, Humanities” indicates Engineer, Specialist in Humanities, International Services visa.
Table: Top 10 residence statuses (visa)
| Rank | Status of residence | No. of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Permanent resident | 137,615 |
| 2 | Long-term resident | 57,591 |
| 3 | Technical intern trainee | 29,140 |
| 4 | Spouse or child of a Japanese | 25,453 |
| 5 | Specified skilled worker | 13,214 |
| 6 | Engineer, Specialist in Humanities, International Services | 8,655 |
| 7 | Spouse or child of a permanent resident | 8,286 |
| 8 | Designated activities | 5,797 |
| 9 | Dependent | 4,584 |
| 10 | Student | 2,482 |
Age and gender
The male to female ratio is 30:70, with an overwhelming majority of women. By age group, people in their 30s (65,814 people) and 40s (61,356 people) were the most common, followed by people in their 50s (55,999 people). There are approximately 12,000 people over 60 [8].
Gender ratio by age of Filipinos in Japan. The skewed male-to-female ratio from around age 35 is the result of the great influx of female entertainers from the 1980s up to mid-2000s.
Occupation
In 2020, there were 184,750 Filipino workers in Japan. Industries in 2020 where Filipinos are employed were manufacturing (36%), service industry (21%), wholesale and retail (9%), medicine and welfare (7%), construction (6%), hotel and restaurant industry (6%), education (2%), and telecommunications (1%).[9]
Occupation of Filipinos in Japan
Regions
Most Filipinos in Japan live in the Kanto region (43%), Chubu region (30%), and Kinki region (10%).[10]
Prefectures that have more than 8,000 Filipino residents. Darker color indicates higher population.
Table: Prefectures ranked by population of Filipino residents (2022)
| Rank | Prefecture | No. of residents |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | All | 298,740 |
| 1 | Aichi | 41,918 |
| 2 | Tokyo | 34,425 |
| 3 | Kanagawa | 24,778 |
| 4 | Saitama | 22,560 |
| 5 | Chiba | 20,795 |
| 6 | Shizuoka | 18,397 |
| 7 | Gifu | 14,553 |
| 8 | Ibaraki | 10,730 |
| 9 | Osaka | 10,173 |
| 10 | Gunma | 8,419 |
| 11 | Hiroshima | 8,417 |
| 12 | Mie | 7,844 |
| 13 | Fukuoka | 6,143 |
| 14 | Hyōgo | 5,657 |
| 15 | Tochigi | 5,100 |
| 16 | Nagano | 5,029 |
| 17 | Kumamoto | 3,044 |
| 18 | Shiga | 2,920 |
| 19 | Niigata | 2,915 |
| 20 | Kyoto | 2,770 |
| 21 | Fukushima | 2,752 |
| 22 | Ehime | 2,718 |
| 23 | Toyama | 2,620 |
| 24 | Hokkaido | 2,496 |
| 25 | Okinawa | 2,343 |
| 26 | Kagawa | 2,251 |
| 27 | Kagoshima | 2,229 |
| 28 | Yamanashi | 2,202 |
| 29 | Okayama | 2,150 |
| 30 | Fukui | 1,884 |
| 31 | Yamaguchi | 1,714 |
| 32 | Ōita | 1,697 |
| 33 | Miyagi | 1,481 |
| 34 | Iwate | 1,355 |
| 35 | Ishikawa | 1,305 |
| 36 | Nagasaki | 1,166 |
| 37 | Nara | 949 |
| 38 | Shimane | 941 |
| 39 | Miyazaki | 892 |
| 40 | Yamagata | 881 |
| 41 | Aomori | 864 |
| 42 | Akita | 862 |
| 43 | Tokushima | 839 |
| 44 | Wakayama | 826 |
| 45 | Saga | 790 |
| 46 | Kōchi | 788 |
| 47 | Tottori | 637 |
Illegal overstayers
As of 1 January 2024, there are 5,069 Filipinos who are illegally staying in Japan, an increase of 407 from the previous year’s 4,662. Filipino illegal overstayers are the fifth numerous in Japan, representing 6.4% of the total number.[11]
Table: Illegal overstayers in Japan by country (1 January 2024)
| Rank | Country | No. of illegal overstayers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vietnam | 15,806 |
| 2 | Thailand | 11,494 |
| 3 | South Korea | 10,869 |
| 4 | China | 6,881 |
| 5 | Philippines | 5,069 |
| 6 | Indonesia | 4,537 |
| 7 | Taiwan | 3,191 |
| 8 | Sri Lanka | 2,001 |
| 9 | Cambodia | 1,731 |
| 10 | Malaysia | 1,387 |
Table: Filipino illegal overstayers in Japan by year
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 6,061 | 5,761 | 5,148 | 4,662 | 5,069 |
| Men | 2,127 | 2,043 | 1,833 | 1,657 | 1,842 |
| Women | 3,934 | 3,718 | 3,315 | 3,005 | 3,227 |
Revoked status of residence
In Japan, a foreigner’s current status of residence may be revoked if it is clear that the legal grounds for revocation apply after going through the hearing procedure stipulated in the Immigration Control Act. In 2023, there were a total of 17 Filipinos whose status of residence was revoked.[12]
Table: Filipinos whose status of residence was revoked in 2023
| Status of residence | No. of people |
|---|---|
| Total | 17 |
| Technical Intern Trainee I | 10 |
| Technical Intern Trainee III | 1 |
| Spouse or Child of Japanese | 5 |
| Long-term Resident | 1 |
Refugee status applicants
In 2023, a total of 86 Filipinos applied for refugee status in Japan, a 196.6% increase from the previous year.[13] While Japan has recognized a number of refugees from Asian countries such as Myanmar and China, no Filipino has been granted refugee status in Japan since 2019, the earliest available data.[14]
Table: Filipinos who applied for refugee status in Japan
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of applicants | 28 | 29 | 86 |
History
On 10 June 1636, Lorenzo Ruiz, a Chinese-Filipino Christian, together with three Dominican priests sailed for Okinawa from the Philippines. They were captured by the authorities of the Tokugawa Shogunate, which had banned Christianity in the Japan, a short time after they arrived at the island, thrown into prison and later transferred to Nagasaki.
There, on 27 September 1637, Ruiz and his companions were taken to Nishizaka Hill, where they were tortured by being hung upside-down over a pit. He died two days later on 29 September 1637, aged 42. Canonized as a saint in 1987, Lorenzo Ruiz was the first recorded Filipino to have set foot on Japanese soil.
Prewar
Early examples is the Filipino students who came to Japan to study at Japanese universities during World War 2, when the Philippines gained independence (the Second Republic of the Philippines) under Japanese occupation.
1980s
Until the 1960s, the Philippine economy was known as “Asia’s premier student,” but since then it has been in a long-term slump. Filipinos who had no jobs in the country used to go to oil-producing countries in the Middle East to work, but were forced out due to low oil prices.[15] At that time, the value of the Japanese yen was rising due to the appreciation of the yen, so Filipinos began to seek Japan as newcomers.[15:1] Japanese organized crime groups operating behind the scenes in the Philippines actively smuggled Filipinos into Japan by arranging jobs for them.[15:2]
As a result, the number of Filipinos residing in Japan in 1983 was 7,516, but by 1989, after the bubble economy, the number had rapidly increased by about five times to 38,925.[16] In 1987, 8,027 Filipinos were deported for illegal work, accounting for 70% of the total number of deported foreigners. Approximately 70% of these were women [17]–the so-called “Japayuki.” [15:3] Filipino women are engaged in sex-related industries such as Philippine pubs, and in 1988, 588 Filipino women were arrested for sex-related offenses (1st place).[17:1]
1990s
In 1992, the number of Filipinos living in Japan was 62,218, but in 1995 it rose to 74,297.[18] Around this time, Ruby Moreno became active in television and movies. International marriages are increasing; in 1995, 7,188 Filipino women married Japanese men, and 52 Japanese women married Filipino men.[19]
On the other hand, by 1995, the number of illegal overstaying Filipinos had increased to 41,122 (3rd place), and the number of criminal offenses had increased from 328 (3rd place) and 151 people (3rd place) in 1990 to 633 (7th place). The number has doubled to 301 (5th place).[20] Illegal employment continues; in 1995, 204 Filipino women were arrested for employment-related offenses (first place), and 166 Filipino women were arrested for sex-related offenses (second place).[20:1]
2000s
In 2000, the number of Filipinos residing in Japan rapidly increased to 144,871, about twice the number in 1995.[21] In that year, 60,455 (59%) new Filipinos entered the country with entertainer status.[22] On the other hand, in 2000, there were 375 cases (6th place) and 241 people (6th place) of Filipino criminals, and 36,379 people (2nd place) were illegally overstayed in the country.[23] The number of Filipino women arrested for employment-related offenses was 93 (4th place), and the number of Filipino women arrested for sex-related offenses was 181 (3rd place).[23:1]
The number of Filipinos residing in Japan continued to increase, but in 2005 it became difficult to obtain entertainment visas to prevent human trafficking.[24] As a result, the number of Filipinos living in Japan decreased to 187,261 at one point. However, around the same time, international marriages reached their peak, with 10,242 Filipino women marrying Japanese men and 187 Japanese women marrying Filipino men in 2005.[19:1]
As a result, the resident population recovered from the following year and continued to increase until 2009 (211,716 people).[21:1] The Japanese government concluded an economic partnership agreement with the Philippines in 2008, allowing “the entry of Filipino nurse and care worker candidates who meet certain requirements.”[25]
Also, around this time, children born to marriages with Japanese men in the late 1980s were reaching adulthood, and some of them, like Sayaka Akimoto, were active in the entertainment industry. However, it is said that between 2000 and 2005, the high school attendance rate of Filipinos living in Japan was one of the lowest among foreigners living in Japan, at around 30-40%.[26]
Furthermore, around 2009, in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture, there were 2,841 households of Filipino residents in Japan receiving welfare, of which approximately 80% were single-mother households.[26:1] Perhaps for this reason, the number of Filipino juvenile criminal law offenders exceeded 100 in 2006,[27] peaked at 202 in 2009,[27:1] and continued to exceed 100 until 2014.[28] A murder case by a juvenile later occurred in Kawasaki City, and voices were raised pointing out how difficult life was for Filipino children.[29]
2010s
The number of Filipinos residing in Japan temporarily decreased to 210,181 in 2010,[21:2] but increased to 224,048 in 2015. On the other hand, by 2010, the number of illegal overstaying Filipinos was 12,842 (3rd place), [30] the number of criminal law offenses was 442 (6th place), 464 people (5th place), and special laws such as employment-related crimes. Including criminals, the number was 1,128 (3rd place).[27:2] The number of juvenile criminal code offenders was 137 (1st place) and theft (2nd place).[27:3]
In 2014, the most common crimes committed by Filipinos were burglary, shoplifting, and embezzlement of property.[30:1] By the way, the total number of Filipino residents in 2015 was 235,928 [31]. On the other hand, by 2015, the number of Filipinos illegally overstaying in the country was 4,991 (4th place).[32]
Media
Pre-internet, in the early 1990s there were a number of printed newspapers and magazines that catered to Filipinos in Japan. Most of these publications are sponsored by international telephone service companies, and with ads from travel agencies and stores selling Philippine products.
The earliest of these publications catering to Filipinos in Japan is “Kaibigan” (published from December 1991 to June 1999), Philippines Today (published from January 1993), and “Pinoy” (published from February 1994).[33]
These publications used either English or Filipino or a combination of these two languages. Philippines Today content were in English, with some Filipino, while others like KMC Magazine and Kaibigan have Japanese translations, together with English or Filipino. Still others like Kumusta! and Pinoy were completely bilingual.[33:1]
With the advent of the Internet, some of these publications shifted to online publishing but most have completely ceased operations altogether.
One notable exception is Jeepney Press, which had been published continuously for 20 years.
Remittance to the Philippines
Filipinos in Japan are a major contributor of financial funds to the Philippine economy.
In 2021, cash remittances to the Philippines from Filipinos in Japan amounted to $1.6 billion, 4th highest after the US, Singapore and Saudi Arabia. In the ten-year period from 2012 to 2021, Filipinos in Japan remitted a total of $13.8 billion to the Philippines.[34]
References
2023年末現在における在留外国人数について (Regarding the Number of Foreign Residents as of the End of 2023). Immigration Services Agency of Japan. 22 March 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2024. ↩︎
令和５年６月末現在における在留外国人数について (Regarding the Number of Foreign Residents as of the End of June 2023). Immigration Services Agency of Japan. 13 October 2023. Retrieved 12 December 2023. ↩︎
令和５年末現在における在留外国人数について (Regarding the Number of Foreign Residents as of the End of 2023). XLSX file. Immigration Services of Japan. 22 March 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2024. ↩︎
令和４年末現在における在留外国人数について (Regarding the Number of Foreign Residents as of the End of 2022). Immigration Services of Japan. 24 March 2023. Retrieved 12 December 2023. ↩︎
【第２表】 国籍・地域別 外国人新規入国者数の推移; 【第５表】 国籍・地域別 在留資格別 外国人新規入国者数（令和５年）([Table 2] Trends in the Number of New Foreign Nationals Entering the Country by Nationality and Region; [Table 5] Nationality/region Category of Residence Status of Foreigners Number of Newly Admitted Foreigners (2023)) XLSX file. Immigration Services Agency of Japan. 22 March 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2024. ↩︎
国籍別帰化許可者数 (Number of People Granted Naturalization by Nationality) (PDF) Ministry of Justice Civil Affairs Bureau. 27 April 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2023. ↩︎
在留外国人統計（旧登録外国人統計）統計表 (Statistics on Foreign Residents (Formerly Registered Alien Statistics) Statistical Table). Retrieved 2 February 2024. ↩︎
第2表 国籍・地域別 年齢 ・ 男女別 在留外国人（令和3年（2021年）6月末日現在） (Table 2 Foreign Residents by Nationality and Region, Age and Gender (as of the End of June 2021))(XLS). Portal Site of Official Statistics of Japan. 10 December 2021. Retrieved 12 December 2023. ↩︎
［別表１］国籍別・在留資格別外国人労働者数 ([Attachment 1] Number of Foreign Workers by Nationality and Status of Residence) (PDF). Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. Retrieved 2 February 2024. ↩︎
在留外国人統計（旧登録外国人統計） / 在留外国人統計 (Statistics on Foreign Residents (Formerly Registered Alien Statistics) / Statistics on Foreign Residents). Portal Site of Official Statistics of Japan. 15 July 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2024. ↩︎
【第１表】 国籍・地域別 性別 不法残留者数の推移 ([Table 1] Changes in the Number of Illegal Overstayers by Nationality/region and Gender); 【第２表】 国籍・地域別 在留資格別 不法残留者数（令和６年１月１日現在）([Table 2] Number of Illegal Overstayers by Nationality/Region Status and Status of Residence (as of 1 January 2024)). XLSX file. Immigration Services Agency of Japan. 22 March 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2024. ↩︎
（表２）国籍・地域別の在留資格取消しを行った在留資格（令和５年） ((Table 2) Revoked Status of Residence by Nationality/region (2023)) PDF file. Immigration Services Agency of Japan. 22 March 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2024. ↩︎
表２：国籍別難民認定申請者数の推移 (Table 2: Changes in the Number of Applicants for Refugee Recognition by Nationality) PDF file. Immigration Services Agency of Japan. 26 March 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2024. ↩︎
表８：国籍別難民認定者数の推移 (Table 8: Changes in the Number of Recognized Refugees by Nationality) PDF file. Immigration Services Agency of Japan. 26 March 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2024. ↩︎
第2節 国際化の進展に伴う警察事象の変化 (Section 2 Changes in Police Phenomena Due to Progress in Internationalization). 1985 Police White Paper (1987). Retrieved 2 February 2024… ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
出入国管理－新時代における出入国管理行政の対応”. (Immigration Services Agency of Japan–Immigration Control Administration Response in the New Era) Immigration Services Agency of Japan White Paper (1998). Retrieved 2 February 2024. ↩︎
第2章 国際化社会と警察活動 (Chapter 2 Internationalized Society and Police Activities). 1993 Police White Paper (1994). Retrieved 2 February 2024. ↩︎ ↩︎
出入国管理－新時代における出入国管理行政の対応 (Immigration Services of Japan–Immigration Control Administration Response in the New Era) Immigration Services of Japan White Paper (1998). Retrieved 2 February 2024. ↩︎
第２表 夫妻の国籍別にみた婚姻件数の年次推移 (Table 2 Annual Trends in the Number of Marriages by Nationality of Couples) . Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (2009). Retrieved 2 February 2024. ↩︎ ↩︎
第8章 国際化社会と警察活動 (Chapter 8 Internationalized Society and Police Activities) 1996 Police White Paper (1996). Retrieved 2 February 2024 ↩︎ ↩︎
第１部 出入国管理をめぐる近年の状況 (Part 1 Recent Situations Surrounding Immigration Control). 2012 Immigration Services of Japan White Paper. Retrieved 2 February 2024. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
平成１２年における外国人及び日本人の出入国者統計について (Regarding Immigration Statistics for Foreigners and Japanese People in 2000). Ministry of Justice Immigration Bureau (March 2001). Retrieved 2 February 2024. ↩︎
第８章国際化社会と警察活動 (Chapter 8 Internationalized Society and Police Activities). 2001 Police White Paper. Retrieved 2 February 2024. ↩︎ ↩︎
人身取引行動計画（旧行動計画)の進捗状況 (Progress of the Human Trafficking Action Plan (former Action Plan)). Immigration Services of Japan. Retrieved 2 February 2024. ↩︎
日・フィリピン経済連携協定 (Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement). Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (1 July 2011). Retrieved 2 February 2024. ↩︎
National Network in Solidarity with Migrant Workers/Migrants and Poverty Project Team (4 March 2010). ナショナルミニマム研究会 第６回 (National Minimum Study Group 6th). Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Retrieved 2 February 2024. ↩︎ ↩︎
来日外国人犯罪の検挙状況（平成２２年確定値）【訂正版】 (Arrest Status of Crimes Committed by Foreigners Visiting Japan (Confirmed Numbers in 2010) [Revised Version]). National Police Agency. 2 February 2024. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
来日外国人犯罪の検挙状況（平成26年） (Arrest Status of Crimes Committed by Foreigners Visiting Japan (2014)) National Police Agency (2010). Retrieved 2 February 2024. ↩︎
川崎中1殺害事件でも…秋元才加やざわちんが明かすフィリピンハーフへの偏見と差別 (Even in the Case of the Kawasaki Junior High School Student Murder Case… Prejudice and Discrimination Against Half-Filipinos Revealed by Sayaka Akimoto and Zawachin). LITERA. 17 March 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2024. ↩︎
来日外国人犯罪の検挙状況（平成26年） (Arrest Status of Crimes Committed by Foreigners Visiting Japan (2014)) National Police Agency. Retrieved 2 February 2024. ↩︎ ↩︎
在留外国人統計（旧登録外国人統計） (Statistics on Foreign Residents (Formerly Registered Alien Statistics)) Ministry of Justice Statistics Bureau (2015). Retrieved 2 February 2024. ↩︎
本邦における不法残留者数について（平成２７年１月１日現在）. (Regarding the Number of Illegal Overstayers in Japan (as of January 1, 2015)) Ministry of Justice Immigration Services Agency of Japan (20 March 2015). Retrieved 2 February 2024. ↩︎
在日フィリピン人とエスニックメディア－－言語継承を中心に (Filipinos Living in Japan and Ethnic Media–Focusing on Language Inheritance). Takahata, Sachi. 25 September 1999. Retrieved 17 December 2023. ↩︎ ↩︎
Overseas Filipinos’ Remittances: Cash Remittances, by Country and by Source (XLS) Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Philippines. Retrieved 14 December 2023. ↩︎