Supermarket Hospitality

If you go to a nice Tokyo supermarket and buy a mango or some other easily bruisable fruit, the employee at the register will blow up a plastic bag and place your fruit inside, ensuring that it doesn't get bruised.

Preventing a Shucks Situation

I'm always impressed by how Japanese supermarkets place a rubbish bin next to the corn. Customers shuck their own corn, making sure the kernels are perfectly aligned and there are no bugs. If there is an offending ear, it is discreetly returned to the shelf. Is there a similar system in other countries?

Glossing Things Over

The last time I used a disposable camera was around 7 years ago. They were called tsukaisute kamera back then; literally "disposable camera". Now they are sold under the much more diplomatic moniker, tsukaikiri kamera, or "single-use camera". Tsukaisute=thrown away after use=wasteful, tsukaikiri=purpose is fulfilled upon use=less wasteful.

This new tsukaikiri kamera takes great care to point out that it doesn't include any parts made of lead, the outside packaging doesn't include aluminum, and that all of it is recycled in the end. But still I roll my eyes. Just because it makes you feel better, doesn't mean that it is.