It is commonly believed that Japan is a homogeneous country. I somewhat agree that the cultural diversity level is low in Japan, in terms of language, geography and the way of thinking. First, Japanese is the only language spoken on a daily basis. Even unskilled jobs require basic Japanese skills which is quite a high standard for non-native people. Second, Japan is an island country. Separated by the sea from other countries, interactions with other ethnic groups have been rather limited historically. In addition, people in Japan have traditionally grown up with and accepted the sense of distinction between outside and inside. For example, a foreigner is literally called "outsider" in Japanese. Third, people in Japan share a value system which is embodied by harmony. One of the oldest laws in Japan dates from the seventh century and stipulates respect for harmony. To this day, people respect others and care about how they are seen by others, which leads to a disciplined, polite community. However, there are several facts that should not be overlooked. Minorities, such as Chinese, Korean, Brazilian and Ainu, do exist. Moreover, the shrinking working population is encouraging more immigration to Japan. Focusing on the language, Japanese is made of three types of letters, hiragana, kanji and katakana, which are, roughly speaking, used to describe things deriving from Japanese, Chinese and Western languages, respectively. In other words, the Japanese language is a classic example of cultural assimilation in Japan. In conclusion, while it has several aspects which mean it can be considered diverse, Japan is best viewed as a homogeneous society.