Whew, its been a while since i've been here!
Well I got in as a Japanese returnee, not as a foreigner (I was born in Japan but was raised in Europe and the USA). I'm not sure if you are allowed to apply as a foreigner so you should definitely directly ask Sophia's Admissions Office just to be safe.
I must say this though, I really doubt that it makes a difference whether if you apply as a foreigner or a Japanese returnee (regarding your TOEFL and SAT scores...)
I do not know how "bad" your toefl and SAT scores were but you have time to improve, just as the admin said.
not to bump an old thread but would you say there are more Japanese returnees than international students? or even vice-versa?
How does the overall department feel like? Is it similar to a small liberal arts school or do you always see people you've never seen before in your classes?