See also: Indians in Japan and Sri Lankans in Japan.
| Group: | Nepalis in Japan |
| Native Name: | Japanese: 日本にいるネパール人 Nepali: जापानमा रहेका नेपालीहरु |
| Population: | 206,898 (2024)[1] [2] |
| Popplace: | Tokyo (Shinjuku)ŌsakaAichiHamamatsuFukuokaNahaYokohamaSapporoKawasakiSagamiharaChibaFunabashiSaitamaKawaguchi |
| Langs: | NepaliJapaneseMaithiliNewariMagar |
| Rels: | Hinduism (majority)BuddhismKirant Mundhum |
| Related-C: | Nepali diaspora, Indians in Japan, Bangladeshis in Japan, Burmese people in Japan, Bhutanese in Japan |
Nepalis in Japan consist of migrants from Nepal to Japan, including temporary expatriates and permanent residents, as well as their locally born descendants. As of June 2024, there are about 206,898 Nepalis living in Japan, which makes them the largest South Asian community in the country.[3]
Nepalis are the third largest foreign student community in Japan. The country remains a dream destination for many Nepali youth, with many paying over $14,000 to enter the country on a student visa.[4] [5]
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.[6] Most recently, IT engineers and professionals from Nepal are currently being recruited by Japanese IT companies.[7] There are also some Nepalese joining Japan's garments industry and agriculture sector.
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.[8]
Other organizations include NRN-NCC Japan, the Nepalese Student Association in Japan (NESAJ)and NUSAJ(another student body).