Trivia from Japan

Since moving to Japan (again), I'm enjoying the funny, awesome, weird and just maniacal stuff I see on the street.  Coming from the US, there are so many little differences, and big ones, that make daily life interesting.

I'll start with one of my favorites, which is kind of famous: plastic food samples.
Many restaurants have a picture window in the front with plastic (wax?) models of their food, showing the full range of options and side dishes.  Making this stuff is an industry in itself.  Here's an example (sushi).  Some of the best are ramen with chopsticks suspended in space, and drinks being poured into a glass (I'll look for photos of those).
They're cute, and make ordering easy, whether you know the language or not!  My interpretation is that Japanese are 'visual' people, so showing a model is much better than just a written menu, ie it's not just for foreigners!