Discover the rich history of JAFA and its mission to connect African Diaspora and Japanese communities through cultural exchange, education, and collaboration. Our journey highlights courage, resilience, and cultural understanding that continue to inspire future generations.
From Yasuke, the African samurai of Japan, to the historic 1927 Negro League Baseball tour, JAFA celebrates stories that strengthen cross-cultural friendship and preserve shared heritage.
Discover the origins of JAFA and our exciting plans for the future.
In 1579, Yasuke, a man of African origin, arrived in Japan with Jesuit missionary Alessandro Valignano. He became the first known African samurai and was admired for his strength, intelligence, and dignity.
After meeting warlord Oda Nobunaga, Yasuke received a residence, a katana, and the rare status of samurai. He later fought alongside Nobunaga during major events, including the Honnō-ji Incident of 1582.
Standing over six feet tall, Yasuke fascinated many Japanese people. Today, his story continues to appear in books, films, and documentaries. Actor Jun Soejima portrayed Yasuke in the historical film Kubi, connecting his legacy to JAFA’s mission of honoring heritage and promoting cross-cultural respect.
The Manhattan was a whaling ship that rescued 22 Japanese sailors who had been shipwrecked off the coast of Japan in 1845. Captain Mercator Cooper of Southampton, New York, sailed to Japan to return the stranded sailors despite Japan’s sakoku, or closed-country, policy.
On April 18, 1845, the Manhattan entered Tokyo Bay, then called Edo Bay. Hundreds of Japanese boats surrounded the ship. Although foreign vessels were usually turned away or restricted to Nagasaki, Japanese authorities allowed Cooper to remain briefly and accepted the return of the sailors.
The first documented African Americans to visit Japan arrived aboard the Manhattan in 1845. Historical records, ship logs, and crew documents confirm that African American sailors were part of the multi-ethnic crew. Pyrrhus Concer is specifically identified as one of the crew members.
At the time, whaling and merchant ships were among the most racially integrated workplaces in the world. Maritime historians widely agree that Black sailors served aboard these vessels. As a result, this visit is recognized as the first known arrival of African Americans in Japan, nearly a decade before Commodore Perry’s famous expedition.
During Commodore Matthew Perry’s historic expedition to Japan, African Americans served as crew members aboard the fleet. Although many were unnamed in official records, naval rosters and historical accounts confirm their presence.
Some crew members were free men, while others may have lived under unclear or unequal legal conditions. Their experiences reflected the racial inequalities of antebellum America.
A troubling aspect of the Perry mission involved Blackface minstrel performances staged by white sailors. These performances were presented to both American crews and Japanese audiences.
White performers used blackface makeup to portray harmful stereotypes of African Americans. In some cases, Black crew members were forced to watch or even participate in these performances.
According to scholar William Bridges IV, these shows were presented as “cultural entertainment.” However, they also spread racist ideas and distorted perceptions of African Americans among Japanese audiences for decades.
In the spring of 1927, a groundbreaking event connected African American baseball with Japanese sports culture. The Philadelphia Royal Giants, a team of Black professional baseball players from the United States, traveled to Japan for a historic goodwill tour.
This tour marked the first time a Negro League team played in Japan. Its impact continues to inspire cultural exchange nearly a century later.
Historical coverage from Japanese American newspapers, including Rafu Shimpo, shows that Japanese American athletic organizations helped support the 1927 tour. One important supporter was the Fresno Athletic Club, which promoted baseball activities during this period.
Kenichi Zenimura (銭村健一), a respected figure in prewar Japanese American baseball, worked with university organizers and athletic associations in Japan to help coordinate games for the Royal Giants.
Community records also identify Joji (George) Irie (入江譲治) of Los Angeles as an important organizer involved in managing the tour.
On the American side, manager Lon Goodwin assembled the touring roster and coordinated communication between African American players and Japanese promoters.
The Philadelphia Royal Giants featured top-tier talent drawn from the Negro Leagues, including:
Biz Mackey – future Hall of Famer and respected leader
Andy Cooper – dominant left-handed pitcher
Rap Dixon – hard-hitting outfielder with speed and flair
These players earned admiration not only for their athletic skill, but also for their professionalism, teamwork, and leadership.
Although racial segregation prevented them from playing in Major League Baseball, they proudly represented African American excellence on an international stage.
During their visit, the Royal Giants played over 20 exhibition games in major Japanese cities, including:
Tokyo
Osaka
Kobe
Yokohama
Their opponents included elite university teams such as Waseda and Keio, along with local all-star and industrial league teams.
Thousands of fans attended the games to witness the team’s speed, talent, and style. Japanese audiences admired the players and gave them the nickname “Black Gentle Giants.”
The tour extended beyond the baseball field:
In contrast to the racial discrimination faced in the United States, the African American players were treated with dignity and respect in Japan.
For many, it was their first experience being received as honored guests and athletes rather than second-class citizens.
The tour became a profound cultural exchange, fostering mutual admiration and laying groundwork for Afro-Asian solidarity and people-to-people diplomacy.
The historic tour is documented in Kuroki Yasashiki Giantsu (黒きやさしきジャイアンツ — Black Gentle Giants) by baseball historian Kazuo Sayama (佐山 和夫).
The publication includes rare photographs, player profiles, and historical records that highlight the tour’s lasting impact on African American and Japanese baseball communities.
Kazuo Sayama also wrote several books about Negro League history, including studies on legendary players such as Satchel Paige. In recognition of his contributions to baseball scholarship, he was inducted into the Japan Baseball Hall of Fame in 2021.
For JAFA, the 1927 Philadelphia Royal Giants tour is:
A cornerstone of cultural diplomacy and pride
A symbol of mutual respect and enduring friendship
An example of how sport can bridge cultures and build lasting connections
In 2027, JAFA and its partners will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Philadelphia Royal Giants Baseball Tour to Japan.
This milestone celebration will honor:
JAFA invites supporters, educators, historians, and communities to participate in this historic celebration of cultural connection and baseball history.
Cultural exchange programs with students, artists, and historians to foster collaboration, learning, and mutual understanding.
Traveling museum exhibits showcasing memorabilia, photos, and stories from the 1927 Philadelphia Royal Giants Baseball Tour.
Academic panels and film screenings highlighting Negro League history and the tour’s significance in promoting cultural diplomacy.
Celebrate the Philadelphia Royal Giants and Fresno Athletic Club, promote historical awareness for youth, and strengthen cross-cultural respect and understanding.
In the spring of 1936, W.E.B. Du Bois, the influential African American scholar and civil rights leader, visited Japan for six weeks during a global tour that also included China and the Soviet Union. His visit came at a significant moment in world history, as Japan was expanding its international influence amid growing tensions with Western powers.
Du Bois traveled across Japan, including Tokyo and Kyoto, meeting:
Japanese officials
Scholars and students
Journalists
He spoke about African American struggles, the global color line, and shared experiences of nonwhite peoples resisting Western imperialism.
Du Bois admired Japan’s rapid modernization and independence from colonial rule. While impressed by Japan’s progress, he remained cautious of its growing militarism and imperial ambitions, particularly during his visit to Manchukuo, the Japanese-controlled region of northeast China.
Du Bois’s engagement with Japan reflected his evolving views on international solidarity.
His writings, including essays like The Land of the Rising Sun, explored global anti-colonialism and the potential for alliances among oppressed peoples.
According to Dr. Gerald Horne (Facing the Rising Sun: African Americans, Japan, and the Rise of Afro-Asian Solidarity), this visit marked a turning point in African American internationalism and laid the intellectual groundwork for later Afro-Asian solidarity movements, including Bandung and the Non-Aligned Movement.
Between the 1920s and 1980s, African American musicians introduced jazz music to Japanese port cities such as Kobe and Yokohama. As a result, Japan’s famous Jazz Kissa (Jazz Café) culture began to flourish.
Moreover, jazz performances created lasting artistic and cultural connections between Japan and the African Diaspora. Even today, Japanese jazz culture continues to reflect this historic exchange of music, creativity, and identity.
WWII Japanese Disinformation (1937-1945):
Leaflets targeting Black U.S. soldiers highlight racism in America.
Following World War II, thousands of African American GIs were stationed throughout Japan during the Allied occupation.
Although these servicemen faced discrimination within the U.S. military, many experienced greater acceptance from Japanese civilians. Consequently, friendships, marriages, and families formed in cities such as Tokyo, Yokosuka, and Okinawa.
During this period, many children were born to Japanese mothers and African American fathers. These children later became known as hafu or “occupation babies.”
However, many families faced prejudice both in Japan and abroad. As a result, international charities and adoption agencies became involved. Some families later resettled in the United States, helping create an early Afro-Japanese diaspora community.
Many African American women worked as civilian educators during the postwar period. They taught English to Japanese students and professionals as part of educational outreach and rebuilding programs.
Additionally, African American women served in military post offices and communications departments through the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) and civil service programs. Their work helped maintain troop morale and logistical support.
Furthermore, these women organized church groups, social clubs, and cultural exchange activities. Through these efforts, they helped strengthen relationships between African American communities and Japanese society.
During the 1950s and 1960s, African American soldiers introduced jazz, blues, and soul music to postwar Japan.
Live performances in clubs throughout Tokyo and Yokohama helped create a powerful jazz movement that still exists today. In addition, Black musicians and military band members played a major role in shaping Japan’s world-class jazz scene.
Warren Latham, pictured to the left, was one of the two founding vice presidents of JAFA, which was established to promote friendship and cultural exchange between the African Diaspora and the people of Japan. Early initiatives included hosting civil rights leaders Rev. Dr. Ralph Abernathy and Hosea Williams, and co-sponsoring the 1989 NAACP/Japan Mutual Interest Tour led by Mr. James Martin of the San Francisco NAACP. JAFA’s founding was supported by key allies in Japan, including Shigeharu Matsumoto of the International House of Japan, Professor Kazuko Suzuki of Waseda University, her husband Hiro Suzuki, Seiho Tajiri and others.
Mike Hooser was a pioneering American educator, author, and early supporter of the Japan Afro-American Friendship Association (JAFA), best known for his groundbreaking language guide Jet Age Japanese: To Enchant a Japanese Ear. A native of New York, Mike arrived in Japan in 1965 as part of a U.S. government-sponsored summer language program administered through Columbia University.
Driven by a deep commitment to mastering the Japanese language and culture, Mike pursued formal studies at several of Japan’s most respected institutions. He was a graduate of Waseda University, completed intensive Japanese language training at the Osaka University of Foreign Studies, and undertook two additional years of study at the Tokyo University of Education. His academic dedication led to a teaching position as a lecturer at Senshu University, where he shared his passion for cross-cultural communication.
Mike’s work, including Jet Age Japanese, published in 1970 and other practical guides like Scratch N’ Mimic Hiragana and Visitor’s Japanese Conversation, helped demystify spoken Japanese for English-speaking learners during a time when few accessible materials existed. His emphasis on phonetic clarity and natural-sounding Japanese speech reflected his belief that language learning should be engaging, respectful, and rooted in cultural nuance.
As one of JAFA’s early members and supporters, Mike contributed to the foundation of meaningful dialogue and understanding between the African Diaspora and Japanese community. His legacy lives on in the pages of his work and in the bridges he helped build between cultures.
Bill Dorsey from Miami, was a U.S. military veteran who found a second home in Japan following his service. Arriving during a transformative period in U.S.–Japan relations, he brought with him a commanding presence, a disciplined work ethic, and a passion for cross-cultural engagement.
In the early 1970s, Bill transitioned into acting, quickly becoming a recognizable figure in Japanese film and television. His towering stature, expressive range, and fluency in Japanese earned him roles in popular productions such as:
The Morocco branch leader Mohammed in Kamen Rider (Episode 68)
Big Saturn, a powerful boxing opponent in J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai
Appearances in Denshi Sentai Denziman, The Return of Sister Street Fighter, Esupai, Space Sheriff Gavan, and Sharivan
Bill’s work helped normalize the presence of African American characters in Japanese media during a time when such representation was rare.
While living and working in Japan, Bill married Ikuko Takahashi and was the father of actor Jun Soejima and professional basketball player Michael Takahashi, both of whom have continued to shape Japan’s entertainment and sports worlds.
Off-screen, Bill served as a mentor and talent scout, using his industry experience to guide aspiring actors, musicians, and bilingual performers into the Japanese entertainment scene. He actively sought to create opportunities for diverse talent, bridging cultures and helping others succeed in an unfamiliar environment.
Bill was an early and enthusiastic supporter of the JAFA, contributing to its founding vision of cultural exchange, mutual respect, and opportunity for African Americans and Japanese. His presence and support lent visibility and authenticity to JAFA’s mission during its formative years in Tokyo.
Bill Dorsey passed away in 1989, but his legacy endures through his work, his children, and the lasting relationships he helped build between African Americans and Japanese. A trailblazer in both media and multicultural community-building, Bill embodied the spirit of JAFA: bridging people, cultures, and generations.
Kazuko Suzuki was a pioneering professor at Waseda University during the 1980s, recognized for her leadership in women’s studies and her lifelong commitment to social equity and international understanding. A respected educator and advocate, Dr. Suzuki was also a founding member of the Japan Afro American Friendship Association (JAFA), helping to lay the groundwork for one of the earliest Black-Japanese cultural exchange organizations in Tokyo.
At Waseda University, Dr. Suzuki specialized in feminist theory, gender and society, and the evolving roles of women in modern Japan. During a time when gender studies were still emerging in Japan, she:
Her scholarship emphasized both theoretical rigor and real-world relevance, exploring the intersections of gender, labor, and cultural identity in Japan’s rapidly changing society.
In 1981, Hiroaki Suzuki was among the original Japanese members who came together with the African Diaspora’s educators, professionals, and cultural leaders to establish the JAFA in Tokyo. As JAFA’s first Japanese Vice President, Mr. Suzuki played a crucial role in shaping the organization’s early direction and vision.
From the beginning, Mr. Suzuki was a steadfast advocate for cross-cultural understanding. He helped organize JAFA’s inaugural public forums, guest lectures, and cultural events that created space for meaningful dialogue between the African Diaspora and Japanese communities. He also championed the active participation of youth and women in JAFA’s mission—believing strongly in the importance of diverse voices in international friendship.
Mr. Suzuki’s leadership extended beyond JAFA. In 1999, building on his long friendship with Kenneth P. Morse of MIT, he co-founded the MIT-Venture Forum Japan (MIT-VFJ) to promote innovation and global collaboration between MIT alumni and Japan’s technology sector. His efforts helped connect Japanese entrepreneurship with international networks grounded in education and inclusion.
Throughout his distinguished career—as a technology executive, venture strategist, and cultural ambassador—Mr. Suzuki has remained committed to the values at JAFA’s core. His work reflects the belief that true friendship between nations begins with human connection, mutual respect, and shared purpose.
The Suzuki’s early contributions, along with those of other founding members, laid the foundation for JAFA’s enduring legacy as a platform for cultural exchange, social progress, and historical remembrance.
Notable Figure: Dr. Michio Arimitsu at Keio University facilitated dialogues on African American literature and its relevance to Japanese social thought.