This is purely anecdotal of course, but I have never had anything but the friendliest and warmest encounters in Japan while I lived there on and off for a few years. None of the gaijins (foreigners) I met had any issues neither. They are almost too friendly to a fault. Of course after you get to know them, they drop some of the cultural barriers, especially Kansai (western Japan) folks.

I highly recommend anyone who haven’t been to Japan to go now :). Beautiful landscape and architecture, smart and cultured folks, and of course, sushi!!!