Japan has long been considered a homogeneous nation, but in recent decades has experienced an increase in diversity due to immigration, international marriages and other factors. According to the Ministry of Justice, there were 2 million foreign nationals living in Japan as of 2018 which accounted for 1.6% of the total population. The UNDESA reported that only 0.4% of Japanese citizens are non-Japanese by ethnicity or race, significantly lower than other developed countries such as Canada (20%) and Australia (28%). Attitudes toward race and ethnicity vary among different segments of Japanese society with some being more accepting than others. The government has passed laws that protect individuals from discrimination based on race or ethnicity and provides incentives for employers who hire foreign workers. However, there are still many challenges facing those who wish to increase racial diversity including language barriers, cultural differences, lack of access to education, employment discrimination and xenophobia. To create a more racially diverse society there needs to be greater acceptance towards foreigners within society