One, the term gaijin. It is applied to all non-Japanese people. It is a negative word, as much so as most of the common racist terms we use in America. Although we have a huge amount of terms to represent our various racial prejudices here in America, I can't seem to remember one all-encompassing slur for everyone but us.
Two, the Japanese are the most sexist civilized nation on the planet. This was first noticed by me wandering Tokyo. There were no women walking around. It was astounding. Then, approximately 2-3 weeks into my stay, Tokyo was FLOODED with them. Naturally I asked what was going on to some Europeans I met that had spent many years there. Apparently the married women only go out after paydays, shop like mad, and lock themselves back home for the rest of the month. Ok, not conclusive evidence, but strange. Then I wander into a video store. Have you been into a video store in Japan? Seen what passes for animated adult entertainment? It's mostly comprised of child-like female characters being raped bloody and then murdered by demonic males. Now, this was back in 1992, but I haven't seen a drought of anime coming in to the U.S. recently, so I am guessing it still goes on. After reading up on some history of Japan, I came to the conclusion that Japanese males bear HUGE HUGE HUGE hostility towards their women. Women also play a very minor part in their politics, etc. Thus my sexist claim. Any cursory history lessons regarding Japan will demonstrate their cunning (all Japanese have three hearts?).
I will repeat, I enjoyed my visit to Nippon, enjoyed their hospitality, and do not hate them. I would not label them "nice". Instead, I would say they are extremely "polite".
The word in and of itself is not racist. It depends on the subjectivity of the person who says it and in which way.
You tell me it's racist and a mean word for a foreigner, when a girl in a disco goes goo-goo eyed over the Westerner and tells him that she 'just loves gaijin' ('gaijin ga totemo suki na no desu'). It's been heard before! Don't split hairs. It's no more or less hospitable a place for foreigners than anywhere else.
I use the word gaijin all the time.
Regarding another one here: "Apparently the married women only go out after paydays, shop like mad, and lock themselves back home for the rest of the month. Ok, not conclusive evidence, but strange."
Please tell me what planet you are describing? This does not describe the Japan I know.Women in Japan have immense power, both on the surface and often, very potent manipulation subtly under the surface that defies all Western reasoning.
At any rate, please come back again and this time spend 2-3 years instead of 2-3 months (not that your 8 to 12 weeks don't count). Let your impressions form through that time. Sheesh, it takes a single year of living in Japan to begin to even start refuting in your mind the initial impressions you made about the place when you landed!
At any rate, you must be right that you liked Japan so I call pull back from my interpretation that somehow you did not like Japan or Japanese.