mtfester@netscape.net wrote in message news:<bccp8n$i8a$2@news.Stanford.EDU>...

> think, but you will be discriminated against in terms of housing, 

Things about housing may not be racism. Japanese landlords are afraid
of if their housings for rent would be messed up by those non-Japanese
who don't know the Japanese life style. Japanese are extremely nervous
about people entering a house with shoes on, onto Tatami rooms or wood
floors. and unfortunately, Westerners are considered as typical people
who don't take off their shoes conventionally by the Japanese.
 
Nevertheless, I think those who refuse to rent out their housings to
non-Japanese would be rarely seen in the outside of Tokyo region. The
Japanese outside of Tokyo, especially rural area, or provincial cities
are rather tend to welcome foreigners, especially Westerners for their
international cultural exchange or something.