Guide to Japanese tourists visiting America.

1. The yen is very strong against the dollar right now. This will make
goods in America seem very cheap -- an excellent opportunity for
shopping! However, remember to be polite in your use of money --
America is in the middle of economic malaise right now, and Japanese
people with wads of money in their hand might be looked on with envy.
Besides, if you are obviously wealthy in an American city, you may be
robbed.

2. For our valued customers who work in the automotive
industry [#1 employer where I live], we advise discretion. If you must
say where you work, the preferred phrasing is [English] "I work at the
car company".

3. Most Americans are very polite, particularly
outside of the big cities. However, outside of the big cities, everyone
owns guns. Inside the big cities, almost everyone owns guns. Let's be
polite together!

4. If you go shopping at an American department
store, they will ask you if you want to open a credit card account.
They are *not* asking whether you want to use a credit card. This may
seem strange but it is an American custom to offer customers a credit
card, in order to make them spend more money. We suggest politely
declining offers of credit cards. You may have to politely decline
several times. Don't think of this as rude, the Americans have to do it
too.

5. Most Americans think we look like Chinese or Koreans. Try not to be too offended.

6. Most Americans will think that a Japanese person standing on the street
is an American, unless they are holding a camera. If you are not
comfortable speaking English, you might try bringing along a camera to
say "I am a tourist, please don't expect me to speak English." Except,
don't try this in the big cities -- tourists get mugged in big cities.

7. Americans have a social institution called a "gratuity". Basically, the
price on the menu at any place which serves food is not the real price.
The real price is 20% higher. You have to calculate 20%, write it under
the subtotal, and sum to arrive at the real price. Taxis work the same
way. It is considered very rude not to pay the "gratuity".

8. In
general, Americans consider it impolite to discuss politics. However,
this January Obama will become the new president, and many people are
excited! If they ask you what you think of him, a safe answer is
[English] "Obama is really cool." or [English] "Obama speaks so well.
Not like me. Hehe." Be very careful when pronouncing his name. O BA MA,
just like Obama City.

9. Most
big cities have Japanese food available. You may have to look hard,
though -- ask your hotel for some place to eat tempura. Restaurants
which say they serve sushi probably only serve makizushi, like
California rolls. (Americans think California rolls are [English]
"sushi".) If a restaurant says [English] "Asian" they really mean
Chinese. They are probably not really Chinese, either.

10. Ladies:
if you shop for clothes, ask for where to find [English] "petite". It
means normal sized. Ladies who are petite may have difficulty finding
clothes which fit in America, except at specialty shops.

11. McDonalds: Has no teriyaki burger in America. Portions are bigger and
food is cheaper. Sometimes the person taking the order does not speak
English. Please relax! They probably understand the set menu, although
it is called [English] "combo", and you can hold up the number with
your hands as shown. [Snip of chart for how Americans count on their
fingers, which is actually different than how Japanese people count on
their fingers, hence the need for a chart.]