Clever products

Our apartment building is old (30 yrs+), but the elevators have been updated.  In the photo, you can see two sets of call buttons.  The lower ones are for the disabled (wheelchairs, etc), and there's a sticker which says:
"Pressing these buttons cause the doors to close more slowly".  If you're pressing these buttons, you might need more time to get on/off the elevator, so the doors are programmed to close slower.

I love that!

Safety

It's not a myth: Japan is an extremely safe place.  Those of us from countries which are less safe don't like to admit it, but Japan is very safe.  Virtually all kids go to school on their own, from the smallest 1st grader (6 years).  Here's an example, of a group of little kids (6 or 7 years old?) who commute to school on the train, passing through a very busy station/shopping area, without adult supervision.

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!