The population is 99% ethnic Japanese, with a small number of Koreans and Chinese. Native Ainu live mostly on the northern island of Hokkaido . All those who are not ethnic Japanese, except for the Ainu, must register annually with the local government and normally do not have full citizenship rights. There are over 300,000 illegal immigrants in Japan, most of whom take manual labor jobs which the Japanese do not want.

Harmony is one of the key cultural values of Japan and is perhaps both the base and the glue of Japanese society.  From this value flows Japan's emphasis upon the group over the individual, the importance of politeness, the prominence of conformity, and the significance of personal relationships.  Loyalty to the group and to one's superior is essential in group oriented Japan, and takes precedence over personal feelings.  Loyalty, devotion, and cooperation are valued over aggressiveness.  Even members of children’s clubs and athletic teams place the group's interests above their own.  Conformity dictates that one look like and act similar to others, or in harmony with others.  Harmony helps to explain how Japan is so different from societies which have roots in Europe where, at least historically, truth was the key cultural value.  A society based on harmony seems subjective and inefficient to those who come from a society based on perceived truth.  But to a Japanese person a society built on truth seems objective and interpersonally cold.  Conformity, even in appearance, is a characteristic of the Japanese.  The general rule is to act sim­ilar to, or in harmony with, the crowd.  Conformity is evident even in clothing: businessmen wear similar suits and ties, elementary and high school students wear uniforms, and taxi drivers wear uniforms.  Conformity takes on a different meaning for the youth, however.  They will wear the latest US and European fashions, as long as these fash­ions conform to what others are wearing.

Religious Practices:
Most Japanese participate in rituals and customs derived from several religious traditions.  Life cycle events are often marked by visits to a Shinto shrine.  The first special ceremony takes place three days after birth, when an infant is named in the presence of family members.  At approximately one month of age, the family takes the baby to the nearest Shinto shrine, where the name is recorded by the priest to make the child an official member of the community.  The third, fifth, and seventh birthdays and the official beginning of adulthood at age twenty are also occasions for visits to the Shinto shrine.  Shinto priests often perform wedding ceremonies. 

There are many ceremonies devoted to honoring older generations.  One of the most important is an annual Buddhist festival called the Bon Matsuri or O’Bon (also call Bon Festival), for Buddhists.  This festival marks the end of the ancestors’ annual visit to their earthly home.  On July 13, after thoroughly cleaning their houses, people go to family gravesites to invite the spirits of the dead to visit them, then lead the way home with a shining lantern.  From that time through the next two days, they act as though the spirits are among them, conversing with their dead relatives and offering them food.  On July 15 they offer the spirits a farewell meal of rice dumplings and light a bonfire to help them find their way back to the afterlife.

Another ceremony that shows respect for the older generation takes place when a man is about to turn sixty years of age.  At that time, he wears a traditional robe-like garment called a kimono and changes from a plain-colored one to a red one.  This symbolizes the shedding of responsibility.  From this point on, the man’s family is expected to care for him.

A Japanese funeral is most often Buddhist, and in almost every case the deceased is cremated.  Buddhist rites are also common on death day anniversaries of deceased family members. 

The above material was taken from the Out Reach English Class Ministry's Country Briefing for Japan.