A few things I learned in Japan

• You can ask a question and get the same result (Would you like to view this from the outside?)
• Addressing a problem directly is wholly unnecessary.
• There is no such thing as a gutter that is too clean.
• It is not necessary to walk and eat all the time.
• When it's 100 degrees and super humid, it's smart to carry a washcloth for the dripping sweat.
• Paper towel in the bathroom is not an expectation.
• Neither is soap.
• Everything can be made into a gelatin. Everything.
• Unless it can be pickled.
• Tame deer will shamelessly steal your sushi.
• Just because it looks like chocolate does not mean it is chocolate. It's most likely red beans.
• It is a mistake to think a bus/train/streetcar/subway/elevator is full. There is always room for at least 50 more. Maybe even 100. (If you're in Shinjuku Station, you will see people with yellow armbands employed to push you on board.)
• You can never have too many karaoke bars on one street.
• When cheering for the Yakult Swallows, don't forget your umbrella with which to taunt the other side when you get a run.
• Seeing someone make their arms into a giant "X" is a pretty universal sign that you're doing it wrong.
• If you want a cup of tea, just walk into a store and look around. You will be offered one within 20 seconds.
• It may be the land of the wee, but the shoes are anything but. The higher the better.
• Each hotel room as multiple maids, each with his/her own job. (One is a bed stripper, one is a bed maker, one is a bathroom cleaner, one is a garbage taker, etc)
• If you arrive back at the hotel before housekeeping is done, plan to watch them sprint ahead of you en masse to make everything spotless before you can reach the door.
• If something is marked as "spicy", order it. It will actually have some flavor and not be even remotely hot.
• Everything edible has a chewy texture.
• Only foreign banks will let you take out money from the ATMs.
• Finding a foreign card ATM is important, because a credit card is rarely accepted.
• Every dish and every sauce has its own special type of container and utensil and should not be mixed.
• You always wash your hands before eating.
• Eat carefully, because you'll rarely get a napkin.
• Slurping your noodles is perfectly acceptable.
• You pay by going to the cashier and putting the money on a tray that is provided.
• You always get your change put in your hand.
• If you're not sure what the subway fare is, pay the minimum amount. Then pay the additional at the clearly marked fare adjustment machine before you leave.
• You can never have enough bling or charms attached to your cell phone.
• Bikes can ride anywhere - sidewalks, roads - and they have no specific rules to follow.
• Tea is usually consumed after lunch or dinner, not with it. Even if it's iced. There's an occasional altering of this rule, but it's only occasional.
• If a hotel has a "rest" rate, you probably don't want to stay there.
• A red lantern outside a restaurant indicates it has an all-you-can-drink option.
• You need to queue up for anything. If you are not in the queue, you will be ignored and passed by, not allowed in the line.
• Everything is on time. Always.
• Except for restaurants. Restaurants may or may not be open according to their posted hours, depending on what they feel like that given day.