Jewish history in Japan History of the Jews in Japan

view of beth israel synagogue in nagasaki.

from mid 1920s until 1950s, kobe jewish community largest jewish community in japan, formed hundreds of jews arriving russia (originating manchurian city of harbin), middle east (mainly iraq , syria), central , eastern european countries (primarily germany). had both ashkenazi , sephardic synagogue. during time, tokyo s jewish community (now japan s largest) growing arrival of jews united states, western europe, , russia.

jewish settlement in imperial japan

some japanese leaders, such captain inuzuka koreshige (犬塚 惟重), colonel yasue norihiro (安江 仙弘), , industrialist aikawa yoshisuke (鮎川 義介), came believe jewish economic , political power harnessed japan through controlled immigration, , such policy ensure favor united states through influence of american jewry. although efforts made attract jewish investment , immigrants, plan limited government s desire not interfere alliance nazi germany. ultimately, left world jewish community fund settlements , supply settlers , plan failed attract significant long-term population or create strategic benefits japan had been expected originators.

on december 6, 1938, 5 ministers council (prime minister fumimaro konoe, army minister seishirō itagaki, navy minister mitsumasa yonai, foreign minister hachirō arita, , finance minister shigeaki ikeda), highest decision-making council, made decision of prohibiting expulsion of jews in japan.

during world war ii, japan regarded safe refuge holocaust, despite being part of axis , ally of germany. jews trying escape german-occupied poland not pass blockades near soviet union , mediterranean sea , forced go through neutral country of lithuania (which occupied belligerents in june 1940, starting soviet union, germany, , soviet union again).

of arrived, many (around 5,000) sent dutch west indies japanese visas issued chiune sugihara, japanese consul lithuania. sugihara ignored orders , gave thousands of jews entry visas japan, risking career , saving more 6,000 lives. sugihara said have cooperated polish intelligence, part of bigger japanese-polish cooperative plan. managed flee across vast territory of russia train vladivostok , boat kobe in japan. refugees – 2,185 in number – arrived in japan august 1940 june 1941. tadeusz romer, polish ambassador in tokyo, had managed transit visas in japan; asylum visas canada, australia, new zealand , burma; immigration certificates palestine; , immigrant visas united states , latin american countries. jews permitted , encouraged move on japan shanghai ghetto, china, under japanese occupation duration of world war ii. finally, tadeusz romer arrived in shanghai on november 1, 1941, continue action jewish refugees. among saved in shanghai ghetto leaders , students of mir yeshiva, european yeshiva survive holocaust. they – 400 in number – fled mir vilna outbreak of world war ii in 1939, , keidan, lithuania. in late 1940, obtained visas chiune sugihara, travel keidan (then lithuanian ssr) via siberia , vladivostok kobe, japan. november 1941, japanese moved group , of others on shanghai ghetto in order consolidate jews under control.

the secretary of manchurian legation in berlin wang tifu (王, 替夫. 1911-) issued visas 12,000 refugees, including jews, june 1939 may 1940.

throughout war, japanese government continually rejected requests german government establish anti-semitic policies. towards end, nazi representatives pressured japanese army devise plan exterminate shanghai s jewish population , pressure became known jewish community s leadership. however, japanese had no intention of further provoking anger of allies , delayed german request time, rejecting entirely. 1 orthodox jewish institution saved in manner lithuanian haredi mir yeshiva. japanese government , people offered jews temporary shelter, medical services, food, transportation, , gifts, preferred move on reside in japanese-occupied shanghai.

the decision declare shanghai ghetto in february 1943 influenced police attaché of german embassy in tokyo, josef meisinger. in autumn 1942 had lengthy discussions japanese home ministry. because japanese not anti-semitic, used espionage fear provoke actions against jewish community. japanese declared, ordered berlin provide them names of anti-nazis among german residents. claimed anti-nazis anti-japanese , added anti-nazis german jews, of whom 20.000 had emigrated shanghai. meisinger’s anti-semitic intrigue worked. in response statements, japanese demanded meisinger list of anti-nazis . list was, meisinger’s personal secretary later confirmed, prepared. after consulting general müller, meisinger handed list on japanese home ministry , kenpeitai @ end of 1942. list contained i. a. names of jews german passport in japan. karl hamel, interpreter of meisinger, present @ discussions japanese authorities, later testified intervention led real chasing of anti-nazis , internment of quite lot of people . added thesis may regarded basic explanation of mr. meisinger’s activities in japan regard splitting of german community nazis , anti-nazis. testimony of karl hamel allied interrogation specialists kept strictly confidential long time. during lawsuits compensation of inmates of shanghai ghetto in 1950s, former german diplomats able convince judges, proclamation of ghetto sovereign act of japanese , not related german authorities.

at war s end, half of jews had been in japanese-controlled territories later moved on western hemisphere (such united states , canada) , remainder moved other parts of world, israel.

since 1920s, there have been occasional events , statements reflecting antisemitism in japan, promoted fringe elements , tabloid newspapers.