We had this discussion on sci.lang.japan about a month or two ago. The consensus basically was that at the end of verbs in dictionary form (通う, not pronounced with an elongated vowel, e.g.） and when the お and う are divided up between two concepts (say, if there is a word 小ウナギ, which I don't think there is), you pronounce it not as a long vowel. However, in something like 東京, you twice pronounce an elongated お.
Of course, I never ever paid attention to such things because I didn't realize/hear the distinction the entire time I lived in Japan. However, I now realize it but it may be too late to change my accent.
And as for degrees, I have a BS in math, a BA in Japanese, and a doctorate in jurisprudence.
I agree with you about Japanese that it is pleasant. But I think French sounds even more pleasant. I think Cantonese sounds like fighting all the time
