I'm raising a family here in Japan. Pick them up from daycare, take them to the clinic when sick, go to bars, talk to cabbies. Never had a hint of negativity about it.

Sure there's xenophobia in Japan, lots of it, but I've never seen this meme of "they love tourists but when they hate it when you move there!" that people (who mostly have not lived in Japan) repeat online.

If anything, the examples of racism I see are the opposite - they dislike tourists who barge into small corner bars and violate local manners, but if you live there, speak the language and show an understanding of the customs they're fine with you.