No, they’re nothing like America. 97.8% of the population of Japan is considered Japanese, with the remaining 2.2% being foreign nationals. Since the end of World War 2, the Japanese government has had a policy of “monoculturism” whereby all citizens are considered to have a single Japanese identity and minority identities are discouraged: one language, one ethnic group, one dynasty.

It wasn’t until 2008 that a prime minister (Fukuda Yasuo) publicly acknowledged the distinct identity of the ethnic minority Ainu people. However, there does not seem to be much movement since then.