This article examines the historical, genetic, linguistic, cultural and archaeological evidence to answer the question of who the Japanese people are most related to. Through these sources it is concluded that modern day Japanese people are descended from both ancient Jomon populations as well as immigrants from mainland Asia during the Yayoi period (300 BC - 300 AD). This is supported by genetic studies which show a close relationship between modern day Japanese people and other East Asian populations such as Koreans, Chinese and Mongolians. Additionally, linguistic analysis reveals influence from both Jomon languages and languages spoken by mainland Asian immigrants. Archaeological evidence also supports this conclusion with artifacts dating back thousands of years providing clues about how different groups interacted with each other throughout history.