Though most Filipinos in Japan are short-term residents, the history of their community extends back further; during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, some Filipino students studied in Japanese universities.
Meskipun kebanyakan orang Filipina di Jepang tinggal dalam jangka yang pendek, sejarah komunitas mereka telah ada sejak lama; pada masa pendudukan Jepang di Filipina, beberapa pelajar Filipina belajar di universitas-universitas Jepang.