Foreign Exchange programs are for high school. At the college level you need to see what study aboard programs your college offers. Usually if you are in good standing with your school, you just need to apply and have the funds for a study aboard program.
If you went to Japan, the school would be teaching in Japanese. Your text books would be in Japanese. My daughter did a study aboard program to England.
She went for the summer. She took two classes at a university there and was able to travel the area.
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.