[Wasabista]

Having known Japan for many years I can say that foreigners, at least foreigners from rich countries, will encounter both racism/xenophobia and exceptional kindness in Japan. In northern Saitama, the area I'm most familiar with, there's a bento shop where the owner throws in extra goodies for me, just because he likes me and he wants me to have a good impression of his country. Then again, the Sekijuji (J. Red Cross) guys fall silent when I walk past them at the train station. They don't want my blood, since all foreigners have AIDS.

In my personal experience the exceptional kindnesses outnumber the xenophobic incidents about 100 to 1. Unfortunately the bad cases tend to stick out because they are important -- trying to rent an apartment, for example, or trying to get into ANY club in Shinsaibashi if you aren't with a Japanese buddy.

Of course, if you speak the language everything goes far more smoothly.

By the way, did you know that only foreigners can ask for directions in Tokyo? Any Japanese asking for directions would get the brush-off -- assumed to be Aum Shinrinkyo missionaries or something like that.