Very Japanese things, as seen by yours truly over the past weeks...

• At 9.30pm, a woman in dark sunglasses attempts to back her Audi into her driveway for 10 minutes (we were trying to get past her at the time).
• At my local convenience store, I am asked whether I want my cheese sandwich microwaved, and am given a straw with my beer.
• Two Japanese men take 30 minutes to clear up after bowling, overly polishing their balls and the lane beside the ball return, whilst we were waiting for their lane, and the following week they spent 25 minutes practicing walking up to the line.
• In a Japanese lifestyle magazine, two normal looking middle aged Japanese men have cosmetic surgery and end up looking like a mincing fusion of Kim Jong Il, David Gest and Paul O'Grady.
• At a different bowling alley, a teenage boy decides to throw his 11lb ball like a shotput, which lands halfway down the lane and makes a deafening thud. The alley staff refuse to act, only tentatively suggesting to the youth to find other pursuits after Ben points a finger at the youth in question's face and shouts "C***!" at 110 decibels.