Back in the mid-aughts, I was part of an exchange program that took a few lucky Americans on a trip to Japan for a few incredible weeks. It was a little nerve-wracking to think about traveling in a country where I couldn't read or speak the language, but to my surprise, it was incredibly easy to get around, and to ask for help (in English) with my timid voice. It seemed most people could speak English, and were excited to learn about where I was from in America. While there was anti-Bush graffi…