Ethnicities around the world (beta)

The region of Japan and Korea is one of the most ethnically homogenous in the world. The vast majority of the population of Japan belongs to the Yamato ethnic group, while South Korea is home to the Hanguk-in group. The Ainu and Ryukyuan peoples make up a relatively small minority in Japan. The Japanese diaspora’s largest centers are in Brazil, the United States, China, the Philippines, Canada, and Peru. Now powerhouses of high technology, Japan and South Korea have always fostered cultural innovation: the warrior traditions of the samurai paved the way for modern martial arts that originated in Japan, while Japanese writer Murasaki Shikibu’s 11th century piece The Tale of Genji is regarded as the world’s first novel. The ancient Silla kingdom of the Korean peninsula was the birthplace of many technological innovations, including intricate underground food refrigeration systems. Thanks to cultural emphasis on moderation, physical fitness, and the cultivation of internal harmony (and likely also thanks in no small part to genetics), Japanese people enjoy the longest lifespan on Earth.