One thing that I can comment on is that Japan has drastically changed its immigration policies and opened its doors to workers from overseas. A decade or so so ago you needed to have lived in the country for more than ten years to gain permanent residence, but now you can get it in as little as 3 years. English is much more common especially in major cities, partly thanks to the preparation for the Tokyo Olympics. Support for foreigners living there has increased likewise. But yes, still a long way to go until you see immigrants take on top roles in major corporations or even the government.
Incorrect: it's 1 year if you score 80 points on the point list for the HSP visa, and 3 years if you score 70 points.
As far as I can tell, Japan has the easiest and most permissive immigration policies among developed nations, bar none. Compare with the "pro-immigration" US where there's strict limits on worker visas, H1-B holders have to leave the country very quickly (a week?) if they lose their job and can't find a new sponsor fast, there's strict limits on green cards (PR) with a lottery of all things, etc.
