BmwM3Rod wrote:
While you compare Japan to other "western" nations in regards to becoming more multi-racial....I want to know your opinions of South Korea because it seems to me they are even more homogeneous than Japan.
Let's not even talk about North Korea.
You're point is not lost on me and I agree with your statement.
Since you asked my opinion.....
I compared Japan to other western nations because the academic data that is often presented is one that compares the First World nations of the world; that is to say the industrialized democracies of the first order such as the United States, England, France, Italy, Japan, Germany, etc.
I don't doubt that South Korea is even more racially homogenous than Japan because the smaller size of their economy doesn't necessitate workers from abroad or otherwise generate interest in the same vein as Japan [as a nation that is often viewed internationally as benevolent (giving large amounts of Foreign Aid) and free of social unrest compared to most nations]. The size of their domestic economy while certainly impressive pales in comparison to Japan's.
Along the historical spectrum, S. Korea is traditionally referred to as a "newly industrialized country" (NIC)...their economic ascendency primarily occuring within the last three decades whereas Japan's growth is considered to have occured as early as the Post-War era; Jpan having industrialized it's economy as early as the 1870s.
You can't even discuss N. Korea...it's not worthy of discussion....it's one of the poorest nations in the world and has a closed door immigration policy, both for it's citizens and outsiders....nobody wants to go there so a discussion on racial homogeneity is irrevelant as it pertains to the original discussion.
edit: again the reason japan was discussed was to gauge the acceptance of foreigners residing in the country as ethnic minorities and their roles as reflected or portrayed in contemporary japanese doramas