The mission for the evangelization of Japan by the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer began on 8th May 1948 with the arrival of three Redemptorist missionaries from the Province of Sainte-Anne de Beaupré, Canada. In September 1948 three more confreres came from the Province of Toronto, Canada, and another three arrived from the Province of München, Germany on 10th September 1953.
The Province of Sainte-Anne de Beaupré established the Vice-Province of Tokyo on 28th November 1955. The Province of Toronto established the Vice-Province of Maizuru on 4th January 1966. The Province of München established the Vice-Province of Kagoshima on 24th October 1966. In April 1974 the Vice-Province of Kagoshima took over the house and parish of Nagasaki that had originally been opened by the Vice-Province of Tokyo. When the Vice-Province of Maizuru was closed on 21st October 1981 the territory was incorporated into the Vice-Province of Tokyo.
The Vice-Province of Tokyo and the Vice-Province of Kagoshima formed a new unit, the Vice-Province of Japan under the General Government on 5th January 2015.