Japan is to ask thousands of foreigners about their encounters with racism as the country adapts to a record number of non-Japanese residents and tourists. The number of foreign residents in Japan stands at about 2.3 million – or 2% of the population – and a record 20 million foreign tourists have visited the country so far this year. International pressure on Japan to take racism more seriously has grown amid a rise in reports of hate speech in the past three years, mostly targeting members of its large ethnic Korean population. The law, which has been criticised for not carrying penalties for offenders, encourages local governments to take measures to eradicate hate speech. Osaka, which is home to a large ethnic Korean community, became the first city to enact a hate speech ordinance the following month.

Source: The Guardian October 31, 2016 11:26 UTC