Interesting post.

I am surprised with the current declining population, they will build a new univerisity. I guess the news about declining birthrate and a lack of students in other universities haven't reached the south island. In fact are they not merging some universities due to a lack of enrolment?

As for prejudice in Japan. Its part of life there. I have family members who still to this day, refuse to buy anything Korean because he doesn't like Koreans. He says he is not prejudiced because he avoids all Koreans, thus he never has to be prejudiced. (I have given up arguing with him about it)

When I married my wife who happens to be Japanese there was an audible sigh of relief that I wasn't going to marry some foreigner. Tried to explain to them that I am going to marry a foreigner because I am Canadian but they just gave me that roll eyes look. So I give up. Just grateful that my parents immigrated to Canada where it is truly multicultural.