Olympics carry a question: What does it mean to be Japanese?

Japan's Naomi Osaka holding the Olympic torch during the opening ceremony in the Olympic Stadium at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The racial diversity Japan showcased at the Olympic opening ceremony also highlights its lack in Japanese society. Photos: AP

Two multiracial athletes, two high-profile roles: Rising NBA star Rui Hachimura carried the Japanese flag at the Olympics' opening ceremony. Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka lit the Olympic cauldron.

For Japan, it was a remarkable showcase of racial diversity – but one that also highlighted how much remains missing in a nation that values homogeneity and conformity.

Osaka and Hachimura, both of whom have one foreign parent and one Japanese parent, were cheered warmly by many even as some nationalists pounded them online for not being "pure Japanese”. It has rekindled a debate on racial identity that points toward a particular and thorny question: What does it mean to be Japanese?