 | |
 | |
| 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:ロシア系日本人,Roshia-kei Nihon-jin;Russian:Русские в Японии,romanized: Russkije v Japonii) comprises everyethnic Russian living in Japan. They are one of the largestethnic minorities in Japan, as well as making up to the third largest foreign group from Europe. The first recorded landing ofRussians in Japan was in 1739 inKamogawa, Chiba during the times of Japanese seclusion of theEdo period, not counting landings inHokkaidō, which was not under Japanese administration at this time. In the 18th century, Russians were sometimes called "Red-hairedAinu" in Japan.[2]
As of December 2023, there were 11,634 Russian citizens holding residency in Japan.[1] According to Japan'sMinistry of Justice, a majority of the Russian citizens residing inJapan are permanent residents.[3]
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The Russian Mission, orOrthodox Church ofRussia in Japan, dates from 1861. A hospital had been previously built atHakodate 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 Russianlegation atSurugadai at the very center ofTokyo. 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 trainedcatechists andpriests. 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 wasconsecratedbishop in Russia and in 1890 he completed the erection of hiscathedral.
Kasatkin enjoyed a great personal esteem; he founded and governed everything pertaining to his mission. During theRusso-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 byJapanese soldiers. Prior to that, he received from theHoly 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.
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]
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TheRussian Socialist Revolution of 1917 triggered an unprecedented wave ofmass migration, particularly among the Russian bourgeoisie and intelligentsia, who sought refuge inEurope,America, and parts ofAsia, notablyChina andJapan. While some of these migrants eventually returned toRussia, most established themselves in their new countries. Despite its relatively small size, the Russian diaspora in Japan had a significant impact on thenation's economic andcultural spheres. Notably, most Russian migrants in Japan came from the “lower classes” ofImperial Russia. Lacking substantial support from international or local organizations, they were compelled to rely on their own resourcefulness. Many of these migrants, endowed with artistic talents and resilient personalities, made notable contributions to Japan's cultural heritage, highlighting the Russian diaspora in Japan as a compelling subject for study.[6] Traditionally these refugees have been known asWhite Russians, with the corresponding Japanese term beingHakkei-Roshiajin, a term which has been applied to all former residents of the formerRussian Empire. Initially the majority of Russians lived inTokyo andYokohama. After theGreat Kantō earthquake of 1923 a significant number of them moved toKobe.
A white émigré family is depicted in the novelThe Makioka Sisters by famed Japanese authorJunichiro Tanizaki.
The city ofHakodate inHokkaido shares a unique historical connection withRussia. During theMeiji period's Wild West frontier days, Russia played a significant role in shaping Hakodate, establishing one of thefirst foreign consulates afterJapan opened its borders in the early 1860s. To honor this bond, theHakodate Russian Festival has been celebrated since1994, hosted annually by theFar Eastern Federal University Hakodate Campus. A highlight of the festival isMaslenitsa, aRussian Orthodox tradition marking the onset ofLent. Visitors can also enjoy activities such as a ‘Russian Café,’ introductory Russian language classes, and a chess-playing session.[7] As mentioned earlier, theFar Eastern Federal University has a campus in Hakodate,[8][9] which serves to promote Russian culture in the area, also attracts Russian students fromVladivostok to study there.
A new bridge/tunnel is planned to be built to connect the Russian island ofSakhalin and the Japanese island ofHokkaido together, spanning over 45-km across the Soya Strait in Sea of Okhotsk.[10] Once completed, theSakhalin-Hokkaido Tunnel will further increase the migration of people from both sides, enlarging the population of Russians in Hokkaido even by a slight amount. In addition, theSakhalin Tunnel's completion and its connection to theTrans-Siberian railway might allow Russians from all over mainland Russia to travel to Hokkaido by train, crossing theJapan-Russia border.[11][12]
Similarly, two buildings in Hakodate built by Russians still stand at the centre of this city today. TheOld Russian Consulate served as a consulate of theRussian Empire in the port city of Hakodate and the first foreign consulate in Japan.[13] Within reach sits the Russian-builtHakodate Orthodox Church, again the firstEastern Orthodox church in the country that serves as aplace of worship for local and Russianchristians.[14]
As of2006, the statistics of Japanese government reported 39,000 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. TheRussian Embassy School in Tokyo serves Russian diplomat families inTokyo.[15]
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.[16] Around 89% of theJapanese population sees Russia between very to somewhat unfavourably, which is the second highest in the world afterUkraine.[17] These discrimination and harassment against Russian residents residing in Japan became especially worse after the2022 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.[18]
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This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Japan".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.| FormerRussian Empire or theUSSR |
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