Late at night, during the day, and pretty much anytime, a car will go by with a speaker on the roof and speak Japanese. I thought it was a political statement but according to some of my friend these cars are just asking us to buy a certain type of Clorox or Tissue Paper. I wonder how well that would go over in the United States.
I figure I should make a list of what is different in Japan than we're used to in Amerika (United States in Japanese, not egocentrism!). First of all, we bow at everything! I can't do the correct bow and I don't know who should receive it, so I merely bow my head at any Japanese person I come into contact with and respond with an, "Ohayo Gozaimasu, Konnichiwa, or Konbonwa" based on where the sun is in the sky. I primarily do this to the guards I walk by to get to the campus gates.
Another custom is that to order or to pay for food sometimes we need to say, "sumimasen," which means excuse me or I'm sorry, or they'll keep filling up your water glass.
Busses you pay when you get off at your stop, talking is allowed on the subway (London it isn't common), and bicycles have the right-of-way over pedestrians. They also like to ring their little bell to make you move out of their way. Bicycling is known as "light transportion" and many accidents and deaths occur due to reckless biking because helmets aren't necessary over here.
The drinking age is 18, but those beer vending machines don't card so it's not upheld.
