Japan–Portugal relations

Japanese–Portugal relations are the current and historical diplomatic, cultural and trade relations between Japan and Portugal. The history of relations between the two nations goes back to the mid 16th century, when Portuguese sailors first arrived in Japan in 1543, and diplomatic relations officially restarted in the 19th century with the Treaty of Peace, Amity and Commerce.

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to meet the Japanese, in the 16th century. The firearms they introduced subsequently had a great impact on the unification of Japan, and the following era of trade spurred economic development. The Portuguese legacy in Japan includes, among other things: the Nanban art and the gastronomic heritage (for example tempura or various sweet dishes such as konpeitō or the castella cakes from Nagasaki), but also the linguistic heritage, which is reflected in several dozen Portuguese loanwords in the Japanese language in geography, religion and everyday culture, for example bread. The Portuguese heritage in Japan is still present in the consciousness of Japanese society today.

Both nations are members of the World Trade Organization. Since 2014, Japan has had Associate Observer status in the Community of Portuguese Language Countries.

In 2016, 440 Japanese citizens were registered in Portugal and 589 Portuguese were registered in Japan.