[Nyororin]

Community colleges are also often accredited. And if the one he is planning on attending is not, it is definitely a strong start in the right direction - you an almost always change over to an accredited university somewhere along the line and get a degree there... And for a much lower total cost than attending a larger university from the start. This actually sounds like what the OP wants to do. Take your basics at a cheap community college to get them out of the way for as little money as possible.

What matters is that you receive a bachelor`s at an accredited institution. It doesn`t matter what the size or prestigiousness is... Which is often the only difference between a community college and a full-fledged university. It all comes down to the 4-year degree.

I say good luck to you - finish school and apply to a school in Japan. You sound like you have a much better plan than a lot of users who want to just get to Japan ASAP without bothering with schooling.