<p>@Mikei: Yeah, at least if you look Japanese the Japanese will attempt to converse with you in Japanese. When they find out you are a foreigner then they totally shift gears with you. If you are white, they just assume you don’t know your head from a hole in the ground in Japan, and the way they show it is just like you mentioned, the false compliment. “Oh, you speak Japanese well!” after only saying something short like konnichiwa or ittadakimasu, for instance. I have literally shocked people by pulling out the keigo at the right times. I can’t even imagine what happens if you are to do that as a haafu, I think Japanese heads might explode. Both my kids are haafu and fluent. Japanese in the US think that’s perfectly normal. Japanese in Japan are liable to be confused at first.</p>
<p>I don’t mean to diss the Japanese, because it’s not everyone, and it even differs amongst generations. The older generations have less experience with foreigners and don’t know how to act, so they fall back on learned politeness and fake patience. The newer generations travel a lot and get more involved in foreign cultures so they are a lot more forward-thinking. For instance, I was at a pretty upscale sushi place in ginza a few years back with Mrs. Jamesinho and a lady and her daughter sat next to us at the bar. The lady remarked at how good my skill was with using chopsticks. I was totally taken aback-- I’ve been using chopsticks since I was about 8yo, but she was assuming that as a foreigner, I’d never seen chopsticks before. Her daughter, who looked to be in her late 20s told her, “Mom, foreigners use chopsticks all the time nowadays.” The old lady giggled (as Japanese obasans are wont to do) and apologized.</p>
<p>I think studying abroad in Japan is a fantastic opportunity-- even more so with a family connection like you have. Personally I’m all for anything that gets more Americans out and into the world in a capacity that doesn’t involve being on vacation. Even if you don’t do study abroad, try your hand at teaching English for a year or two after you finish your undergrad. It’s worth it. For all the bad press the Japanese get, they have an amazing culture, and the food is reason enough to drop everything and go. Absolutely your opportunities there increase with your mastery of the language, and acceptance will increase too. You should note that, as an American, you will never be fully accepted. However as I mentioned before that is an advantage, and that doesn’t stop you from making friends, meeting girls/guys (sorry, don’t know your gender or orientation), or getting a job. </p>
<p>The only downside to working in Japan, other than dealing with Japanese business culture which can be stifling, is that the country compared to the US doesn’t pay very big salaries. That said, I’d move back in a heartbeat. In fact, after I finish my ugrad and MS (I’m a-gonna skip the Ph.D. for now…) I am going to find a way to move the jamesinho clan back.</p>