Nepalis in Japan

See also: Indians in Japan and Sri Lankans in Japan

Nepalis in Japan

日本にいるネパール人 Nihon ni iru nepāru hito जापानमा रहेका नेपालीहरु Jāpānamā rahēkā nēpālīharu
Total population
156,333 (in June, 2023)
Regions with significant populations
Tokyo (Shinjuku) · Ōsaka · Aichi · Hamamatsu · Fukuoka · Naha · Yokohama · Sapporo · Kawasaki · Sagamihara · Chiba · Funabashi · Saitama · Kawaguchi · Sapporo · Sapporo
Languages
Nepali · Japanese · Maithili · Newari · Magar
Religion
Hinduism (Majority) · Buddhism · Kirant Mundhum
Related ethnic groups
Nepali diaspora

Nepalis in Japan (在日ネパール人) comprise migrants from Nepal to Japan, including temporary expatriates and permanent residents, as well as their locally born descendants. As of June 2023, there are about 156,333 Nepalis living in Japan, which makes them the largest South Asian community in the country.

Employment

Japan was a popular destination for Nepalese immigrants, as they could earn five times more than the average wage in Nepal, even in low-skilled manual jobs in the service sector. Most recently, IT engineers and professionals from Nepal are currently being recruited by Japanese IT companies. There are also some Nepalese joining Japan's garments industry and agriculture sector.

Organizations

The Nepalese Association of Japan (NAJ) was founded in 1988 with the sole intent of protecting the rights and benefits of Nepalese people living in Japan, promoting understanding among them by providing a forum to bring them together and assisting develop friendly relationship between the countries of Japan and Nepal.

Other organizations include NRN-NCC Japan and the Nepalese Student Association in Japan (NESAJ).

See also

• Japan–Nepal relations
• Japanese people in Nepal
• Ethnic groups of Japan

Further reading

• Yamanaka, Keiko (January 2000), "Nepalese Migration to Japan: from Global Warriors to Global Workers", Ethnic and Racial Studies, 23 (1): 62–93, doi:10.1080/014198700329132, S2CID 143191924