Japanese people are actually Chinese people.
[2011-01-16]
Japanese people now claim that on the genetic level, the
majority (40%-50%) of them belong to Haplogroup D2 (Y-DNA), and so
they are a "rather homogenous group of people". Because Haplogroup
D2 (Y-DNA) is also the marker of the indigenous Ainu people, they
are "directly descended from the very first peoples who inhabited
the land" and so they have "a legitimate claim to the land".
Haplogroup D2 (Y-DNA) is a child of Haplogroup DE (Y-DNA), which
in turn is also the parent of Haplogroup E (Y-DNA). Haplogroup E
(Y-DNA) occurs in very high frequencies in sub-Saharan Africa. In
other words, it can be said that the Japanese people are more
related to Tibetans, Andanamese, sub-Saharan Africans (in that
order), rather than to the Chinese people, who are majority
Haplogroup O (Y-DNA). Southern Chinese have the highest incidences
of Haplogroup O (Y-DNA). The Chinese people are thus more related
to the Caucasians of Haplogroup R1 (Y-DNA), via their common
ancestor Haplogroup MNOPS (Y-DNA).
The perception that Chinese and Japanese people look similar may
be due to the similar latitude and/or environments in which they
evolve in the more recent past.
[2011-02-13]
The Japanese further claim that they are majority Haplogroup D4
(mtDNA) via the maternal line.
Haplogroup D4 (mtDNA) is most frequently found among Koreans,
and it is claimed that Haplogroup D4 (mtDNA) is a major contributor
to Japanese longevity. That said, the parent Haplogroup D (mtDNA)
can be found in high frequencies in the peoples of Central
Asia.
The Japanese also claim Haplogroups (mtDNA) B and F to be
present in lower frequencies in their maternal lines, but these do
not contribute to Japanese longevity.
Haplogroups (mtDNA) B and F are more frequently found in
Southern Chinese and Southeast Asian populations. Compared to
Haplogroup D (mtDNA), Haplogroups (mtDNA) B and F are much more
closely related to Haplogroup H (mtDNA), which is frequently found
among Caucasians, via their common ancestor Haplogroup R
(mtDNA).