History of the Jews in Japan

Common card · No. 328671

The history of the Jews in Japan reaches back to the 16th century and maintained a sporadic presence to the modern day. Early Jews in Japan arrived with the Portuguese in the 16th century and were often sailors and tradesmen. There was a small Jewish community during the early and mid-20th century which saw some growth as Jewish refugees fled persecution or political turmoil and settled in Japan. In the aftermath of World War II, many Japanese Jews moved to Israel and the population has significantly deceased since. Most Jews in present Japan are expatriates or temporary residents.

Read on Wikipedia · Image Adam Engelhart from San Francisco, California, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0