Top 5 Myths re Things Japanese (Notes from Under the Tatami Mats–7 … My Adventures in Japan)

“It’s safe to say that Japan’s population does not comprise only pure Japanese.”

While Japan appears to be a homogenous country with regards to race, it’s not as ethnically pure as some claim. 

With the Ainu in the north and the Ryukyuans in the south, with the hundreds of thousands of Chinese, Koreans, Filipinos, and even with the many Brazilians in Japan, it’s safe to say that Japan’s population does not comprise only pure Japanese.

A muddied pool …

While it is said that ethnic Japanese comprise over 98% of the citizens of the nation, there are no official numbers or facts to support that claim. Granted, the number is in the high 90s.

But since the aforementioned indigenous groups have been there forever, and since those people of other nationalities have been in Japan for decades, if not centuries, the gene pool has probably been tainted a bit.  _{(Image source)}

… with foreign elements

In fact, my Japanese friend Naoyuki Tao admitted that he could trace his ancestry back only a few generations in Japan. And given his very un-Japanese-sounding family name, he believed that his ancestors had in fact been Chinese.   

I also had several ethnic Korean friends in Japan whose families had adopted Japanese names a few generations ago. So, even though they had to conceal their Korean ethnicity to a certain extent, they were seen to be “pure” Japanese. They were not.  

   Introduction to – “Notes from Under the Tatami Mats”  _{(right-click on title)}

Top 3 Weird Excuses for Japanese Behavior

Top 3 Disorienting Aspects of Living in Japan

Top 4 Disorienting Aspects of the Japanese Language

Top 3 Worst Ways to Celebrate New Year’s

... and more

Links to my Other Series …

      Introduction – "Intro to Vocab-ability"   _{(right-click on title)}
      Guide – "Guide to Entries"   _{(right-click on title)}
      Index– "Index" to all Chapters and Sections   _{(right-click on title)}

      Lou Reed – "Anthology of Memorable Lyrics, Part 1"   _{(right-click on title)}
      Lou Reed – "Anthology of Memorable Lyrics, Part 2"   _{(right-click on title)}

_{Images sourced from Google Images, unless otherwise indicated or unless my own.}