You should generate a new word starting with “xeno”, in my humble opinion. Xenophobia sounds incorrect, too.
Ah, if only I knew enough ancient Greek to translate “astonishment” it would be enough, I think.

How does it sound to you “xenoastonishment”? =/

A couple of things for you to think about though. One is that, although I find it awkward to ask people to use my last name in social situations, I do make a point of it at work, and everyone is fine with that. On the first day, I just smile and say, “Oh, it’s Seeroi, not Ken,” and it really works out much better. It seems particularly appropriate with young children, who themselves are often addressed by their last names. For them to address a teacher by his first name, (and, frankly, just because he’s white), seems like a bad idea. But maybe that’s just me.

But back to your name. The Japanese language requires rather subtle distinctions between vowel sounds, and the differences between “Ah,” “Oh,” and “Uh” should be easy to pick up for Japanese speakers. My guess is that your name in English is pronounced closer to “sun” than “san” (as in “sand”). Japanese people would not mistake it if you stressed the “U” sound. Agreed, it’s a bit of a tongue-twister, but hey, we’re used to that. Takadanobaba.

Alternately, you could pronounce the “son” with an “O” sound (as in “own”). That would be a fairly easy solution. Ultimately, though, I suspect the first part of your name–”Fur”–may prove more troubling than the ending, since Japanese lacks a decent “R” sound, rendering your name into something like “Faa-ge-son.” That being the case, I would advise you to apply for a legal name change now, before you get here, and avoid the problem altogether. Something like Honda or Suzuki would be good.

After reading this however it appears is’s all a moot point now. “Annoru” it is :S

I have to say though, a lot of the responsibility (which sounds way better than “blame”) lies with the foreign visitors (and occasionally residents) in Japan. It’s a common complaint that Japanese people will never allow foreigners into “their” society. While that may be true to a degree for any immigrant anywhere, you have to wonder, how hard are we trying to fit in? It’s not uncommon for Asian immigrants to adopt Western names, but how many Westerners do the same? Introducing yourself by your last name is really the least you could do if you want to approach being on equal footing.

Although I’ve stopped short of changing my name to Suzuki, at least this year I’ve got everyone at my workplace referring to me by last name only, and it works out much better for everyone. It was a bit uncomfortable initially, since when they met me they assumed I a) wanted to be called “Ken”; b) preferred to speak English; and c) ate hot dogs for every meal. The truth is, you’ve really got to tell people, because they just don’t know.

It’s not really the ordering of the name that’s the problem, of course. Rather it’s the fact that a lot of Japanese people are quick to dismiss a foreign-looking person’s last name. There’s the perception that Japanese have to be addressed respectfully, but it’s okay to be casual with “foreigners.” I don’t know, but treating someone differently based upon their appearance doesn’t seem like a very good idea.