What are the main minority groups in Japan how are they different and how are they treated?

Answer 1

Probably the largest minority group in Japan is the Koreans. Many Koreans are second or third generation descendants of Koreans who were brought to Japan during the time of the Japanese Empire. These Koreans vary in their degree of assimilation. There are Koreans residing in Japan who speak Japanese either as their primary language or mother tongue. Other Koreans attend Korean schools and maintain ties with Korean people on the Korean peninsula (North and South). Many Koreans have claimed discrimination in Japanese society. In particular there have been court challenges by Japanese-Koreans against hiring practices by local governments. Many Japanese Koreans have changed surnames in an effort to avoid discriminatory practices. For a long time (I believe this has changed recently) Japanese-Koreans could not hold Japanese passports. They needed to carry passports of either North or South Korea (albeit most were not born in either of those countries). There is a significant Chinese minority in some of the larger cities particurarly Kobe and Yokohama. Some of these Chinese are relatively recent migrants, others have lived in Japan since Japan annexed Taiwan and it became part of the Japanese Empire. In larger cities it is becoming more and more common to see Philipinos, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, Iranians, and Africans. These groups are still relatively small, and their populations are largely made up of itinerant workers who usually return to their country of origin after their visas expire. Some do remain in Japan and are becoming integrated somewhat into society. They work in many niches from I.T. jobs to factory work depending on their level of education. Brazilians of Japanese heritage are a significant minority in some areas. These people are descendants of Japanese who immigrated to Brazil over a hundred years ago and have returned. While they are genetically no different from other Japanese, culturally they are quite distinctive. Some Brazilians have claimed racial discrimination. One store-owner in an area with a large Brazilian minority put up a sign asking for no Brazilian patrons. When a Brazilian woman entered the store she was asked to leave. I do not know how this case turned out, but it gained some media attention. The Burakumin are descendants of a Medieval class whose occupations dealt with the tanning of hides of dead animals and such. They were shunned during the Edo period and lived apart from other Japanese. The tanning of hides was regarded as an "unclean" practice. Burakumin are not in any way "racially" different from other Japanese. None the less, some of them still claim discrimination in hiring and marriage. Many Japanese will not knowingly intermarry with Burakumin. Most Japanese claim that discrimination against Burakumin is a past practice. Still, one can see groups of Burakumin protesting in front of railway stations against discriminatory practices. While not numerically significant the Ainu are a minority in Japan that are recognized as aboriginal people of the island of Hokkaido. It is thought that the Ainu likely inhabited much of the Japanese archipelago in prehistoric times but were gradually pushed back to Hokkaido. Nowadays there are almost no "pure-blooded" Ainu left in Japan. They have largely been assimilated into Japanese mainstream society. In the past Ainu were persecuted for speaking their own language, and they were dispossessed of their lands. Many eventually intermarried with Japanese and many hid their Ainu ancestry. There are Ainu people in some areas of Hokkaido. They invariably speak Japanese though they are proud to talk about their unique heritage. Japan had a long period of isolation from the outside world. Its people are insular and many are wary of outsiders or minorities. In the 21st century though the vast majority of Japanese are increasingly aware and tolerant of non-Japanese people. In general most Japanese are hospitable, polite and welcoming to outsiders. It is the rare individual who openly displays hostility toward non-Japanese (albeit this does occasionally happen unfortunately).