On 2015-09-10 08:37:01 +0000, Alan Holbrook said:

> While that's valid as a philosophy, what a lot of you are missing is the
> fact that ritual is very important in some aspects of Japanese culture.
> You might not be an annoying slob to others around you, but you'll be an
> annoying slob to any Japanese around you. Is that important? You decide.
>
> I was at a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Kamakura and ordered a
> sushi platter. Mama-san set it down in front of me and I turned the
> platter around to better get at pieces in the rear. She exploded and
> started screaming at me as she grabbed the platter and turned it back the
> way it "should be". So much for Japanese obsessive politenes...

I've never heard or seen a Japanese person "explode" or scream, and
have been there a lot. But I'm sure it happens. Especially at
restaurants in tourist areas--like Kamakura.

But that is the first time I've heard of anyone, explosive or
otherwise, being concerned about plate placement. Every nutcase has
their preferred nut, I suppose.