Generally monocultures tend to engender a different kind of "racism" than those that select slaves or whatever based on race. So the "they're racist too" argument in that context is pretty weak. Though I suppose to be fair here, japan was one of the first asian nations to modernize in the western colonial style.
I'm not sure what you're getting at wrt slaves, since virtually all cultures have practiced slavery at one point or another. My point is that Japan is a modern Westernized nation, and that they have many things going for them in spite of or even due to their racism.
Gawd. Toddlers aren't racists. It's learned attitude & behavior, not an innate quality.
That's a nice mantra but it isn't true. Toddlers show clear racial preferences towards those resembling their surroundings, in various studies ranging from the dolls they prefer, to how they share with others, and etc. Animals as lowly as insects show racism, such as grasshoppers shunning others when they're of a different color. Things as mild as nose widths drive ethnic identities that fuel genocides such as those seen in Rwanda. If racism was purely a learned falsehood, secluded homogeneous societies would never have issues with coming into contact with new groups. Instead, you find throughout all of history wars fought along bloodlines, ethnic identity, religion, etc. Racism is a basic part of nature and evolutionarily favorable, and what keeps one group or tribe together to propagate their own kind. Now that mankind builds civilizations that transcend entire continents and attempt to secure human rights, it is necessary for us to fight racism to move above our tribal beginnings and imperialistic/genocidal pasts, but it will likely always exist in our biology until we figure out how to change that.
Japan's practices only 'work' in that they create a bubble that delays (but does not prevent) changes to existing culture. It's like refusing to leave your house to avoid an accident. Yes, you'll be safer, but you also won't accomplish nearly as much as someone who's willing to step outside of their comfort zone. And eventually, you have to leave if you want to survive.
I don't think that it's exactly one or the other (political ideology is invented and malleable and doesn't have to sacrifice ethnic homogeneity in order to change), but I agree that their current extremes are not viable in the long run. I don't think Trump's plans are viable either.