Cambodians in Japan consist of ethnic Khmer people that were born in or have immigrated to Japan. As of December 2025, there were 28,957 Cambodians living in Japan.令和6年末現在における在留外国人数について
History The first settlements of Cambodians in Japan were already in the 17th century when their first trade began.RAVINA, M. (2015). Tokugawa, Romanov, and Khmer: The Politics of Trade and Diplomacy in Eighteenth-Century East Asia. Journal of World History, 26(2), 269–294.
In 1953, when Japan and Cambodia established diplomatic relations, many Cambodian workers came to Japan.
Since 2010s, the Cambodian population in Japan has increased due to the better Japanese visa policy for Cambodians. Most of them are students, factory workers and people who work in Cambodian or Thai restaurants. as both countries are monarchies, they have had good relations for many years. There are also many Cambodian festivals organised by Cambodian community in Japan, held mostly in Tokyo.Japan and Cambodia growing closer than ever From 23,750 Cambodians, almost 3,000 Cambodians resides in Kanagawa Prefecture alone making it the Prefecture with most Cambodians where most of them works in Tokyo or Yokohama.
There were also many protests in Japan held by Cambodian residents, mostly against the politics of Cambodia, similar to the protests held by Burmese residents in Japan.Cambodians take to Tokyo streets to protest PM Hun Sen's Japan visit
Notable Khmer temples in Japan Cambodia Temple, Isehara, Kanagawa Cambodian culture center, Aikawa, Kanagawa
Notable people Neko Hiroshi, owarai comedian
See also
Cambodia–Japan relations Cambodian diaspora Immigration to Japan
References