Lessons from Japan, or Things you should know about the Japanese

(taken from an ad we saw in Tokyo-no idea what he was selling)

• Japan is fairly clean (no trash on the streets, metro etc) despite the fact that it is a treasure hunt to find a trash can. And sometimes all you can find is a recycle bin.
• The Japanese are not all short (I had several people tell me that I would "tower" over them-I'm 5'6" not 6'5"). Most seemed to be of average height.
• The Japanese love cell phone bangles. Lots of them. Even adults in their 50's.
• They do not favor a specific hair color. We did a scientific study with a blonde, brunette and a redhead. All were treated fairly.
• While restaurants give you hot towels or wet wipes before meals, napkins are hard to come by during the meals. Unless you count the small square of waxy paper at the table.
• Cashiers, waiters, clerks etc will continue to speak to you in Japanese even after your gesturing, clueless expression and the fact that you're Caucasian.
• If you stand there looking clueless at a map long enough, someone will help you. They might insult your group by calling one of you the mother of everyone else (thankfully not me), but they mean well.
• The Japanese Rail pass is the best thing to happen to tourists and the worst thing to happen to natives.
• Japan is not that expensive to travel in.
• The Japanese love dogs and love to dress them up. Sometimes they even push them around in strollers.
• Beware of food that you don't know the filling. It may smell good, but it could be filled with squid parts.