I also wanted to meet a Japanese friend a few years back, (10 years or so) and I finally found one. But, I found out that not all Japanese email friends are fun to have around.
My Japanese friend was a male (as am I) and all we did was argue (email - I was in USA. He was in Japan.). He was constantly asking me (In a angry manner) why the USA did this, and why the USA did that, as if I personally were responsible for my countries actions. I tired to answer his questions as best I could, but my answers only made things worse between us. I remember that he thought it was terrible that we Americans had guns. I told him I owned three myself and that it was no big deal here in the USA. He did not like that one bit. And that was just one of many things he disliked about the USA. There just seem to be no way to please him. He was always negative. A real tightly strung person if you know the type. The arguing went on and on till I had had enough.
I finally told him that being his friend was getting to be a drag, I was tired of the arguing, and that I wanted to end it. He said he did not think our arguments had been that bad, but if I felt that way it was okay with him to break contact.
Anyway, I?ve not had any Japanese friends since than. I still enjoy reading about Japan and its people, but I?m not so keen on having a Japanese friend again. Japanese and Western cultures are very different. Sometimes different views of the world causes a clash and you end up in a relationship you wish you had never started.
Of course your Japanese friend relationship may work out better than mine, at least I hope so.