Studying a degree outside of your strengths

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In the past, my life revolved around Japan and its culture. However, now I'm interested in more than just Japanese things, and want a degree that incorporates my other interests as I'm sick of everything having to be about Japan for me.

The problem is, the Japanese language is my main strength, but not necessarily something I want to make a career out of. Now it's just a part of my general interest in East Asia, and I also really like chemistry, biology, computers and technology. I really want to study medicine, but I'm worried if I end up with a career that doesn't involve languages, it'll be hard and I won't be able to cope. My parents and teachers also want me to do something with the Japanese language when I leave school, but I have no desire to do so. Well, I wouldn't be opposed to having Japanese as a secondary part of my career, but I honestly can't see myself as something like a translator, interpreter or language teacher.

I also have a long-standing interest in Japan, but I don't know the language. Japan has a lot of interesting things happening in the field of medicine, so if medical research appeals to you, then you could make use of that intersection. Also as a result of their population situation, Japanese economists are looking at some new models for economic growth that don't require a growing population. I hope to learn more about that when I get to graduate school. As far as computers and technology go, I think you can certainly exploit both special interests at the same time.

Colleges give you electives for a reason. You can take various introductory courses and find out what really excites you.

^ I'll add that I'd rather not live and work in Japan. Being surrounded by the culture daily would get to me eventually, because I can only have so much of it until I'm completely burned out. I wouldn't call it THE interest like I used to; I'd say East Asia is just one of my multiple interests. Because of this, I'd like a more general career that isn't Japan-based.