From time to time I get Japanese TV shows burned from a Mac in Japan...
If you rip the discs with RipIt, you won't have that problem. I never play discs. I rip them and play the rip.
The only potential downside is you'll have to switch the Mac's region and you only get 5 region switches before the Mac is locked to the last region used. So if you switch for the Japanese disc, then switch back, that's 2 switches. So don't switch back, or just use a different Mac when you need a different region.
My parents are too lazy to learn how to use new software like that.
RipIt is easy. Start RipIt, put in disc, click "rip." That's it.