Japanese Honduran

Infobox Ethnic group
group=Japanese Honduran
"Japonés Hondureño"
flagicon|Japanflagicon|Honduras
poptime=
popplace=Tegucigalpa, La Ceiba
langs=Central American Spanish, Japanese
rels=Christianity, Mahayana Buddhism, Shinto
related=Japanese people, Japanese Americans, Japanese Canadians, Japanese Mexicans, Japanese Paraguayans, Japanese Peruvians, Koreans

Japanese Honduran (Spanish: "Japonés Hondureño") is a Honduran citizen of Japanese heritage. The Japanese population in Honduras is about 10,000, the majority live in Tegucigalpa, the nation's capital and the La Ceiba region on the Caribbean sea coast.

History

The first Japanese settlers were invited to Honduras to populate the unpopulated areas, but among them lived in Tegucigalpa. When World War II began, most were discriminated and among them were imprisoned to the United States. After the war ended, Japanese refugees were warmly invited. Another group of Japanese people came from the Ryukyu Islands to Honduras as contract laborers when US Army stationed in the country in the 1980s and 1990s. Most of them stayed when they were attracted to the country and they set up businesses when they saved enough money. In the 21st century, influx of large number of Japanese businessmen arrived.

Prominent Japanese Hondurans