questions to 'gaijin-san'

As a Japanese having grown up in Japan but living in USA for nearly twenty years, I can’t help but feeling that this movie is a gross exaggeration of Japanese customs, somewhat to the point of offensiveness. But then, I was surprised to read in the boards and comments here that several “gaijin-san” are expressing sympathy to the main character and how they were treated likewise.

I agree to some of the things that are implied in the movie. For example, yes, Japanese tend not to know how to react when a westerner speaks fluent Japanese rather than being straightforwardly impressed by it. But does that offend Japanese men to the point of ruining a business meeting? And yes, it is true that in Japan the hierarchy of a company is stricter than in the western counterpart. But is it possible a woman who is employed as an interpreter of an international trading company ends up cleaning bathrooms full-time (including the one for the male), just because the direct superior made her so out of a personal spite?

This whole movie reminded me of the typical caricature rampant in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Instead of reporting the subtlety of Japanese customs, I feel it is spreading further misunderstanding of it.

I’d like to hear more from westerners working in Japan, the “gaijin-san”, how they have fared working in Japan, and I’d like to know if their experiences were really that outrageous as in the film.

Thanks!
A.Yoshida