Kiri,
To me, when I think of Japan, I think of Japanese people. That's all there are in Japan. Very monochromatic culture and people. Did you get that vibe when you first started finding your way around town?
Come over to the WEZ and ask this. You'll really get an education.
When I studied abroad to Australia back in 2005 an Aussie student asked us where we were from in the States. We said "Georgia". He asked, "Oh. Like where the KKK is from, right?"