Faux pas-san.
It seems that I’m prone to saying stupid stuff in front of Japanese people. Last year at SZU I was at a party where we were talking about rumors. I suddenly said, “I heard that the reason some of the land on campus is undeveloped is that it was used as a mass grave by the Japanese!” Then I realize that the person standing right in front of me was Japanese! I was really embarrassed! This year, I was having lunch with my Japanese neighbor and a teacher from New Zealand, when the New Zealand woman started complaining about Bush and asking why anyone would vote for him. I started saying it had a lot to do with conservative Christians in the US, and then the Japanese teacher suddenly said that SHE was a Christian! I don’t think she took offense, but I felt rude anyway.