Black people in Japan (黒人系日本人, Kokujinkei nihonjin /Nipponjin) are Japanese residents or citizens of sub-Saharan African ancestry.

In the mid-16th century, Africans arrived in Japan alongside Europeans as crew members and slaves.^[1]

Yasuke, an African man, possibly from Mozambique, arrived in Japan in the late-16th century alongside Jesuit missionary Alessandro Valignano. He found favor with Oda Nobunaga, the daimyō and warlord, and ultimately became his retainer.^[2]

After World War 2, with the Japanese economic miracle, many students from Africa began coming to Japan often to pursue relevant postgraduate education through MEXT and JICA.^[3] African Americans also joined the JET Programme to work as English teachers. Some African Americans arrive to serve in the United States Forces Japan.

In 2015, Ariana Miyamoto, who was born in Japan to a Japanese mother and an African-American father, became the first hāfu (a term denoting mixed ancestry) contestant to win the title of Miss Universe Japan.^[4] The decision to allow Miyamoto to win the title, as she is not full Japanese by descent, was controversial.^[5]