[jadoint]

I'm Asian and I could pass for Japanese if I really wanted to try at it. Also, my wife is Japanese so it isn't a hard leap for anyone in Japan to make when they see us together. This was more of a disadvantage to me than I had realized since Japanese are far more willing to make allowances in social lapses for obvious foreigners than say, a socially awkward Japanese. I find that instead of trying so hard to blend in, it might be easier to simply embrace standing out. So instead of a "konnichiwa", I start out with a confident "Hi!" in a cheery American tone (we all know that one) and proceed in broken Japanese. Even better when they hear me speaking unaccented English with my wife. That way, they know that I'm a clueless tourist and not a socially inept local.