# Japanese Australians

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Japanese_Australians
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Japanese_Australians.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Australians
> Source revision: 1331426285
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Ethnic group

Japanese Australians 日系オーストラリア人 Total population 71,013-100,000[1] 45,267 (by birth)[2] 50,761 (by ancestry)[2] Regions with significant populations Sydney · Melbourne · Brisbane · Perth · Adelaide · Gold Coast · Cairns · Broome · Torres Strait Islands Languages Australian English · Japanese Broome Pearling Lugger Pidgin Religion Irreligion, Buddhism, Christianity, Shinto and others Related ethnic groups Asian Australians · Japanese New Zealanders

**Japanese Australians** (日系オーストラリア人, *Nikkei Ōsutoraria-jin*) are [Australian](/source/Australians) citizens and residents who claim [Japanese](/source/Japanese_people) ancestry.

Japanese people first arrived in the 1870s (despite a [ban on emigration](/source/Japanese_diaspora#Early_history) in place until 1886). During the late 19th and early 20th centuries Japanese migrants played a prominent role in the [pearl industry of north-western Australia](/source/Pearling_in_Western_Australia). By 1911, the Japanese population while small groups had grown to approximately 3,500 people. With the outbreak of [war in the Pacific in 1941](/source/Pacific_War), most [Japanese in Australia were interned](/source/Hay_Internment_and_POW_camps) and then deported when the war ended. At the end of the war only 74 Japanese citizens and their children were permitted to remain in Australia. Not until the 1970s did the Japanese population recover to the levels at the start of the 20th century.[3] As of 2011, of Australia's 35,378 Japan-born residents, more than 65% had arrived from the mid-1990s onwards.[2]

According to a global survey conducted at the end of 2013, Australia was the most popular country for Japanese people to live in.[4]

## History

The first person from Japan to settle in Australia was recorded in 1871.[2]

Japanese only began to emigrate en masse in the 1880s following the lifting of restrictions. In Australia, the *Immigration Restriction Act 1901* temporarily prevented more Japanese from migrating, but subsequent exemptions to the [dictation test](/source/White_Australia_Policy) were applied to Japanese people mitigating restrictions.

Japanese Cemetery of [Broome](/source/Broome%2C_Western_Australia).

In Australia from the late 19th and early 20th Century many worked as [pearlers](/source/Pearl_hunting) in Northern Australia or in the [sugar cane](/source/Sugar_cane) industry in Queensland. They were particularly prominent in the Western Australian [Kimberley](/source/Kimberley_(Western_Australia)) town of [Broome](/source/Broome%2C_Western_Australia), where until the Second World War they were the largest ethnic group. Several streets of Broome have Japanese names, the town has one of the largest Japanese cemeteries outside Japan and the [creole language](/source/Creole_language) [Broome Pearling Lugger Pidgin](/source/Broome_Pearling_Lugger_Pidgin) contained many Japanese words.

Between December 1941 and September 1945, Australia and Japan were at war. On July 28, 1941, Australian military intelligence indicated that there were 1139 Japanese living in Australia and 36 in Australian-controlled territories. Under the guise of national security, 1141 Japanese civilians (almost the entire population) living in Australia were interned for up to six years throughout WWII. An additional 3160 Japanese civilians arrested in allied countries across the Asia-Pacific Region were also interned in Australia on a user-pay basis; this included 600 [Formosans](/source/Taiwan_under_Japanese_rule) (Taiwanese). An unknown number of [Koreans](/source/Korea_under_Japanese_rule) were arrested as Japanese and carried Japanese names. The internment of Japanese in Australia was more racial than political, with Japanese being "evacuated" from their hometowns "for their own good" (i.e., to prevent racist attacks against them by non-Japanese). Several months after the cessation of hostilities, all ethnic-Japanese internees who did not possess Australian nationality were repatriated to [Occupied Japan](/source/Occupation_of_Japan), regardless of the locations of their previous abodes, whilst all ethnic-Formosans were repatriated to [Occupied Formosa](/source/Taiwan).[5]

## Demography

People born in Japan as a percentage of the population in [Sydney](/source/Sydney) divided geographically by postal area, as of the 2011 census.

One dot represents 100 Japanese-born residents in Melbourne

The 2021 census recorded 45,267 Japanese-born residents in Australia, with 78,054 people reporting Japanese ancestry (including those who claimed other ancestries). Of this number 58,755 reporting speaking Japanese at home. [New South Wales](/source/New_South_Wales) had the largest population of Japanese born (14,894), followed by [Queensland](/source/Queensland) (13,236), [Victoria](/source/Victoria_(Australia)) (9,251), [Western Australia](/source/Western_Australia) (4,716), and [South Australia](/source/South_Australia) (1,640).[6] Only 9,734 Japanese-born residents have since acquired [Australian citizenship](/source/Australian_citizenship) representing 21.5% of the community. In 2021, women represented 70% (31,723) of the Japanese-born in Australia.[2]

Over half of all Japanese-born residents profess no religious affiliation (66.8%), with Buddhism (17.8%) and Christianity (3.1%) the most commonly identified religions. [7]

In Northern Australia ([Broome](/source/Broome%2C_Western_Australia), [Darwin](/source/Darwin%2C_Northern_Territory), [Cairns](/source/Cairns), [Townsville](/source/Townsville), [Mackay](/source/Mackay%2C_Queensland), [Torres Strait](/source/Torres_Strait)) many Indigenous and non-Indigenous families claim descent from Japanese pearl luggers and sugar-cane cutters who settled in these areas before 1901.

Religion of Japanese Australians (2021)[8]

1. [No religion](/source/Irreligion) (66.8%)

1. [Buddhism](/source/Buddhism_in_Japan) (17.8%)

1. [Christianity](/source/Christianity) (8.70%)

1. [Shinto](/source/Shinto) (2.30%)

1. Others (2.10%)

1. Not answer (2.30%)

## Education

[The Japanese School in Perth](/source/The_Japanese_School_in_Perth) and the Hyogo Prefectural Government Cultural Centre (兵庫文化交流センター)

[Sydney IJS](/source/Sydney_Japanese_International_School)

[JS Melbourne](/source/The_Japanese_School_of_Melbourne)

[JS Perth](/source/The_Japanese_School_in_Perth)

[Brisbane](/source/The_Japanese_Language_Supplementary_School_of_Queensland)

[G. Cst.](/source/The_Japanese_Language_Supplementary_School_of_Queensland)

[Canberra](/source/Canberra_Japanese_Supplementary_School_Inc.)

[Melbourne ISJ](/source/Melbourne_International_School_of_Japanese)

Cairns

Adelaide Japanese Community School

Perth Weekend

[S. Qld Acad.](/source/South_Queensland_Academy)

Locations of full-time and part-time Japanese schools in Australia designated by the [Japanese Ministry of Education](/source/Japanese_Ministry_of_Education) (gray dots refer to closed schools)

[Japanese international day schools](/source/Nihonjin_gakko) in Australia include the [Sydney Japanese International School](/source/Sydney_Japanese_International_School) (SJIS), the [Japanese School of Melbourne](/source/Japanese_School_of_Melbourne) (JSM), and the [Japanese School in Perth](/source/Japanese_School_in_Perth) (JSP). There are also [weekend supplementary programmes](/source/Hoshuko) in [Brisbane](/source/Brisbane), [Cairns](/source/Cairns), [Canberra](/source/Canberra), [Melbourne](/source/Melbourne), [Perth](/source/Perth) approved by the [Japanese Ministry of Education](/source/Japanese_Ministry_of_Education).[9]

- [The Japanese Language Supplementary School of Queensland](/source/The_Japanese_Language_Supplementary_School_of_Queensland)[10]

- Adelaide Japanese Community School (ACJS; アデレード日本語補習授業校 *Aderēdo Nihongo Hoshū Jugyō Kō*)[11]

- Cairns Japanese Language Tutorial Centre Inc. (ケアンズ日本語補習授業校 *Keanzu Nihongo Hoshū Jugyō Kō*)[12]

- [Canberra Japanese Supplementary School](/source/Canberra_Japanese_Supplementary_School)[13]

- [Melbourne International School of Japanese](/source/Melbourne_International_School_of_Japanese)

- The Weekend Japanese School in Perth

## Notable figures

Joey Bizinger Arisa Trew Amy Harvey Gehamat Shibasaki Jason Davidson Yūko Miyamura Rinky Hijikata Georgia Godwin Kutsuna Shiori Saya Sakakibara

- [Sarah Àlainn](/source/Sarah_%C3%80lainn): Vocalist, violinist

- [Emma Anzai](/source/Emma_Anzai): Bassist for the band [Sick Puppies](/source/Sick_Puppies)

- [Joey Bizinger](/source/Joey_Bizinger): [YouTuber](/source/YouTuber) based in Japan

- [Jimmy Chi](/source/Jimmy_Chi): Composer, musician and playwright

- [Jason Davidson](/source/Jason_Davidson): Australian soccer player

- [Alan Davidson](/source/Alan_Davidson_(Australian_soccer)): Former Australian soccer player

- [Alex Davies](/source/Alex_Davies_(footballer)): Australian rules footballer

- [Georgia Godwin](/source/Georgia_Godwin): Gymnast

- [Tai Hara](/source/Tai_Hara): Actor, model and presenter

- [Amy Harvey](/source/Amy_Harvey): Singer and member of the [J-pop](/source/J-pop) group [XG](/source/XG_(group))

- [Rinky Hijikata](/source/Rinky_Hijikata): Professional tennis player

- [Takaya Honda](/source/Takaya_Honda): Actor and television presenter

- [Akira Isogawa](/source/Akira_Isogawa): Fashion designer

- [Eddie Jones](/source/Eddie_Jones_(rugby_union)): Former Australian rugby union coach

- [Shioli Kutsuna](/source/Shioli_Kutsuna): Actress, model

- [Last Dinosaurs](/source/Last_Dinosaurs): Band members Sean Caskey, Lachlan Caskey, and Dan Koyama

- [Rob Lucas](/source/Rob_Lucas): [Treasurer of South Australia](/source/Treasurer_of_South_Australia) (1997–2002, 2018–2022)

- [George "Joji" Miller](/source/Joji_(musician)): Musician and [Internet celebrity](/source/Internet_celebrity)

- [Nagi Maehashi](/source/Nagi_Maehashi): Author, cook and business owner

- [Sen Mitsuji](/source/Sen_Mitsuji): Actor

- [Yūko Miyamura](/source/Y%C5%ABko_Miyamura): Voice actress, best known for voicing [Asuka Langley Soryu](/source/Asuka_Langley_Soryu) in *[Neon Genesis Evangelion](/source/Neon_Genesis_Evangelion)*

- [Yasukichi Murakami](/source/Yasukichi_Murakami): Inventor

- [Michito Owens](/source/Mitchito_Owens): Australian rules footballer

- [Gehamat Shibasaki](/source/Gehamat_Shibasaki): Rugby league player

- [Yumi Stynes](/source/Yumi_Stynes): Television personality

- [Kumi Taguchi](/source/Kumi_Taguchi_(journalist)): Journalist and newsreader for the [ABC](/source/ABC_(Australian_TV_channel))

- [Arisa Trew](/source/Arisa_Trew): Skateboarder

- [Shu Uchida](/source/Shu_Uchida): Voice actress

- [Tando Velaphi](/source/Tando_Velaphi): Soccer player

- [Tetsuya Wakuda](/source/Tetsuya_Wakuda): Chef

- [Sean Wroe](/source/Sean_Wroe): Runner

- [Masa Yamaguchi](/source/Masa_Yamaguchi): Actor, stunt performer

- [Erika Yamasaki](/source/Erika_Yamasaki): Weightlifter

- [Nina Oyama](/source/Nina_Oyama): Actress, comedian

- [Saya Sakakibara](/source/Saya_Sakakibara): BMX athlete

- [Kai Sakakibara](/source/Kai_Sakakibara): BMX athlete

- [Kasumi Takahashi](/source/Kasumi_Takahashi): Rhythmic gymnast

## Gallery

		- Hyogo Prefectural Government Cultural Centre in Perth

## See also

- [Japan portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Japan)
- [Australia portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Australia)

- [Asian Australians](/source/Asian_Australians)

- [Australia–Japan relations](/source/Australia%E2%80%93Japan_relations)

- [Australians in Japan](/source/Australians_in_Japan)

- [Japanese community of Melbourne](/source/Japanese_community_of_Melbourne)

- [Nichigo Press](/source/Nichigo_Press), Australia's longest established Japanese language newspaper

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Annual Report of Statistics on Japanese Nationals Overseas"](http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/toko/tokei/hojin/10/pdfs/1.pdf) (PDF) (in Japanese). Retrieved 17 July 2016.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-DSS2014_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-DSS2014_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-DSS2014_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-DSS2014_2-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-DSS2014_2-4) Department of Immigration and Citizenship (February 2014). ["Community Information Summary"](https://web.archive.org/web/20200414041913/https://www.dss.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/02_2014/japan.pdf) (PDF). *Department of Social Services*. Australian Government. Archived from [the original](https://www.dss.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/02_2014/japan.pdf) (PDF) on 14 April 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Mizukami2007_3-0)** Mizukami, Tetsuo (2007). [*The sojourner community: Japanese migration and residency in Australia*](https://books.google.com/books?id=t-I_uJUu3boC). Leiden: Brill. p. 50. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-9004154797](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-9004154797). Retrieved 18 July 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [2013 End of the Year Survey - Japan](http://www.wingia.com/web/files/news/106/file/106.pdf) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160304133141/http://www.wingia.com/web/files/news/106/file/106.pdf) 4 March 2016 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) *[WIN/GIA](/source/WIN%2FGIA)*

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Nagata1993_5-0)** Nagata, Yuriko (1993). *Japanese internment in Australia during World War II* (Ph.D). University of Adelaide. [hdl](/source/Hdl_(identifier)):[2440/21427](https://hdl.handle.net/2440%2F21427).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Japan-born Community Information Summary"](https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/mca/files/2021-cis-japan.PDF) (PDF).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["2021 People in Australia who were born in Japan, Census Country of birth QuickStats | Australian Bureau of Statistics"](https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/6201_AUS). *www.abs.gov.au*. Retrieved 31 July 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Japanese Culture - Population Statistics"](https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/japanese-culture/japanese-culture-population-statistics#japanese-culture-population-statistics).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Oceaniaschools_9-0)** "[大洋州の補習授業校一覧（平成25年4月15日現在）](https://web.archive.org/web/20140330185759/http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/shotou/clarinet/002/006/001/002/005.htm)" [Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology](/source/Ministry_of_Education%2C_Culture%2C_Sports%2C_Science_and_Technology). Retrieved on February 13, 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** "[平成 26(2014)年度](http://www.jsgc.org.au/assets/qld-japanese-school-gc/pdf/school.pdf)" ([Archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20150301002148/http://www.jsgc.org.au/assets/qld-japanese-school-gc/pdf/school.pdf)). The Japanese Language Supplementary School of Queensland. Retrieved on April 1, 2015. p. 4.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** "[学校名称](http://adelaidehoshuko.asn.au/contact2/)." Adelaide Japanese Community School. Retrieved on April 7, 2015. [Old URL](http://www.wayback.archive.org/*/http://jsa.asn.au/school/)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** [Home page](https://sites.google.com/site/cairnsjltc/) ([Archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20150421110221/https://sites.google.com/site/cairnsjltc/)). Cairns Japanese Language Tutorial Centre Inc. Retrieved on April 7, 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** "[学校概要](http://www.canberra-hoshuko.org/gaiyou.html)" ([Archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20141114045438/http://www.canberra-hoshuko.org/gaiyou.html)). Canberra Japanese Supplementary School Inc. Retrieved on 7 April 2015.

## Further reading

- Sato, Machiko (2001), *Farewell to Nippon: Japanese Lifestyle Migrants in Australia*, Japanese society series, Melbourne: Trans Pacific Press, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-876843-72-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-876843-72-4)

## External links

- [Australian Bureau of Statistics](http://www.abs.gov.au)

- [Immigration Museum](https://web.archive.org/web/20071022200401/http://immigration.museum.vic.gov.au/Origins/history.aspx?id=33)

v t e Japanese diaspora Ryukyuan diaspora Ainu diaspora Africa Algeria [jp] Egypt South Africa Americas Caribbean Cuba Dominican Republic Jamaica North America Canada British Columbia Montreal Toronto United States cities with large Japanese-American populations South America Argentina Bolivia Brazil São Paulo City Chile Colombia Mexico Mexico City Paraguay Peru Ryukyuan Uruguay Venezuela Asia Mainland China Shanghai Japanese orphans Ryukyuan refugees [zh] Hong Kong Taiwan [zh] born in Taiwan [zh] (Wansei) Ryukyuan India Indonesia Korea North Korea South Korea Malaysia Nepal Philippines Singapore Sri Lanka Thailand Turkey United Arab Emirates Vietnam Europe Belgium Brussels France Paris Germany Düsseldorf Italy Netherlands Russia Ainu Spain United Kingdom London Oceania Micronesia Federated States of Micronesia Kiribati Marshall Islands Palau Elsewhere Australia Melbourne Hawaii (United States) New Caledonia (France) New Zealand Papua New Guinea Solomon Islands Related articles Generations Issei immigrants Nisei second generation Sansei third generation Yonsei fourth generation Gosei fifth generation Dekasegi Foreign-born Japanese The Japanese and Europe The Japanese in Latin America Japantown Hoshū jugyō kō list Looking Like the Enemy New Worlds, New Lives Nihonjin gakkō List of U.S. communities with Asian-American majority populations Ryukyuan related Fukushūen Okinawans in Hawaii Hawaii United Okinawa Association Ryukyu Disposition Ryūkyū-kan Ryūkyū national football team Tinsagu nu Hana

v t e Asian Australians Central Asia Afghan Hazara Armenian Azeri Georgian Kazakh Kyrgyz Pathan Tatar Tajik Turkmen Uzbek Uyghur East Asia Chinese Fuzhou/Hokchiu Hakka Hoklo Hong Konger Tibetan Japanese Korean Mongolian Taiwanese South Asia Bangladeshi Bengali Meitei Bhutanese Indian Bengali Indo-Fijian Gujarati Malayali Meitei Punjabi Sindhi Tamil Telugu Maldivian Nepalese Pakistani Baloch Pashtun Punjabi Sindhi Sri Lankan Tamil Southeast Asia Burmese Chin Karen Meitei Mon Cambodian East Timorese Filipino Indonesian Javanese Madurese Sundanese Acehnese Balinese Laotian Malaysian Bruneian Kadazan Temoq Singaporean Thai Vietnamese Hmong Mien History General Immigration Topics Organized crime Politics Stereotypes East Asians South Asians According to Australian Standard Classification of Cultural and Ethnic Groups (ASCCEG)[1] Category Commons

v t e Ancestry of Australians Ancestral background of Australian citizens Indigenous Aboriginal Australians Torres Strait Islanders Africa Angolan Beninese Burundian Cameroonian Congolese Eritrean Ethiopian Gabonese Gambian Ghanaian Guinean Ivorian Kenyan Liberian Malawian Malian Mauritian Nigerian Rwandan Senegalese Sierra Leonean South African Tanzanian Togolese Ugandan Zambian Zimbabwean Americas American Canadian Caribbean and West Indian Jamaican Trinidadian and Tobagonian Hispanic and Latin American Argentine Bolivian Brazilian Chilean Colombian Cuban Ecuadorian Guatemalan Honduran Mexican Panamanian Paraguayan Peruvian Puerto Rican Salvadoran Uruguayan Venezuelan Asia Afghan Hazara Pashtun Armenian Azerbaijani Bangladeshi Bengali Meitei Bhutanese Burmese Chin Karen Meitei Mon Cambodian Chinese Hong Kong Cantonese Hakka Fuzhou/Hokchiu Hoklo Taiwanese Hmong Mien Tibetan Uyghur East Timorese Filipino Georgian Indian Bengali Gujarati Indo-Fijian Meitei Malayali Punjabi Sindhi Tamil Telugu Indonesian Acehnese Balinese Javanese Madurese Sundanese Japanese Kazakh Korean Kyrgyz Laotian Malaysian Bruneian Kadazan Temoq Maldivian Mongolian Nepali Pakistani Baloch Hazara Pashtun Punjabi Sindhi Pathan Singaporean Sri Lankan Tamil Tajik Tatar Thai Turkmen Uzbek Vietnamese Hmong Mien Europe Albanian Anglo-Celtic Cornish English Irish Northern Irish Scottish Welsh Austrian Belgian Belarusian Bosnian Bulgarian Croatian Cypriot Czech Danish Dutch Estonian French Finnish German Greek Hungarian Icelandic Italian Latvian Lithuanian Macedonian Maltese Montenegrin Norwegian Polish Portuguese Romani Romanian Russian Serbian Slovak Slovene Spanish Swedish Swiss Ukrainian Middle East and North Africa Arab Algerian Bahraini Egyptian Emirati Iraqi Jordanian Kuwaiti Lebanese Libyan Moroccan Palestinian Saudi Somali Syrian Tunisian Assyrian Iraqi Syrian Berber Algerian Libyan Moroccan Tunisian Coptic Egyptian Iranian Israeli/Jewish Kurdish Mandaean South Sudanese Bari Darfur Dinka Nuer Nubian Sudanese Turkish Yezidi Oceania Fijian Indo-Fijian Niuean Ni-Vanuatu New Zealander Māori Papua New Guinean Samoan South Sea Islander Tongan according to Reflecting a Nation: Stories from the 2011 Census, 2012–2013 and Census of Population and Housing: Reflecting Australia - Stories from the Census, 2016

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Japanese Australians](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Australians) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Australians?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.