Can a foreigner work in order to support yourself and pay your way through schooling in Japan?

No, you need high level Japanese both reading, writing and speaking. A foreign medical degree isn't worth much unless it's from a well respected university and you have tons of experience. Note your example.

Dr Kurosu, went to Yale and UCLA....

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.