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Japanese South Africans

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The precise number of Japanese living in South Africa is unknown. According to the 2011 census, Asians account for 2.5% of South Africa's total population. While the Indian, Chinese, and Vietnamese South African populations are relatively large, the number of Japanese is small and largely focused in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

History

Pre-Apartheid

The 1913 "Admission of Persons to the Union Regulation Act no. 22" presented an early obstacle to trade relations between South Africa and Japan. This immigration act banned all Asians, including Japanese, as "prohibited immigrants." Daniel François Malan argued that Japan was vitally important to South Africa as a long-term ally to combat the influence of communism. In 1930 he successfully persuaded the government to exclude Japanese from the "prohibited immigrants" category on this basis. He subsequently successfully lobbied to exclude Japanese from the decision of the Select Committee on the Liquor Bill which prohibited Asians from drinking in the Union, stating that the Japanese are "our friends."

On December 8, 1941, the South African government declared war with Japan following the attack on Pearl Harbor. D. F. Malan defended Japanese expansion, declaring Soviet communism as the real threat. He continued to support pro-Japan economic policies through his political career.

Apartheid: 1948 - 1994

As the Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa from 1948 until 1954, D. F. Malan laid the foundations for apartheid by implementing segregationist policy. He also strengthened trade relations between Japan and South Africa after WWII due to Japan's need for industrial raw materials.

Hendrik Verwoerd served as the prime minister of the Union of South Africa until 1961 and prime minister of the Republic of South Africa until 1966. The establishment of a democratic government in 1961 was accompanied by the establishment of the Johannesburg branch of JETRO, the Japanese External Trade Organization. However, full diplomatic relations were not established until 1992.

In the early 1960's, Tokyo's Yawata Iron & Steel Co. announced a possible $250 million industrial contract. Over the next ten years, Yawata Iron & Steel Co. would purchase 5,000,000 tons of pig iron from South Africa. To avoid insulting Japanese trade delegations that would begin making regular visits to South Africa, Verwoerd pushed Pretoria's Group Areas Board to award Japanese the status of "honorary whites." This move allowed Japanese nearly all the same rights and privileges as whites, excepting the right to vote and conscription.

In 1989, Japan introduced GGP (Grant assistance for Grassroots human security Projects). The stated goal was to fund relatively small development projects initiated by nonprofit organizations which address the well-being of disadvantaged communities. Between 1990 and 2016, this program would provide $438 million ZAR to 612 different projects.

Post-Apartheid

Japan's aid goals toward South Africa have grown in recent years. Toward the end of apartheid, Japan launched TICAD (Tokyo International Conference on African Development) to provide assistance to African countries. To date, six conferences have been held. At TICAD V in June 2013, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged $14 billion in Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Africa over the next five years.

Japan and South Africa also have growing economic relations. In 2013, Japan was South Africa's 3rd largest export destination and 6th largest import source

Notable Japanese South Africans

  1. "2011 Census in Brief" (PDF). 2012. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  2. "1913. Admission of Persons to the Union Regulation Act No 22 - The O'Malley Archives". omalley.nelsonmandela.org. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  3. ^ Lee, Jennifer (2016). Honorary Whiteness: The Making of a Model Minority.
  4. Osada, Masako (2002). Sanctions and Honorary Whites. Greenwood Press. ISBN 0313318778.
  5. "South African Military History Society - Journal- South Africa and the War against Japan 1941-1945". samilitaryhistory.org. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  6. "Hendrik Verwoerd | prime minister of South Africa". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  7. ^ https://www.za.emb-japan.go.jp/en/Japan_SA/japanese_prospectus2014.pdf
  8. ^ "Japan". www.dirco.gov.za. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  9. "Honorary Whites - TIME". web.archive.org. 2008-07-09. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  10. "The Grant Assistance for Grass-roots Human Security Projects (GGP) : Embassy of Japan in South Africa". www.za.emb-japan.go.jp. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  11. "Japan-SA Relations : Basic Data and Documents : Embassy of Japan in South Africa". www.za.emb-japan.go.jp. Retrieved 2019-04-01.