At restaurants, there's almost always a basket under the table for bags, umbrellas and shopping.

On time means on time. The average annual delay on the Tokaido Shinkansen line is measured in a matter of seconds, weather disruption included. For us, used to French trains, that's not even a delay.

Toilets are almost all fitted with a built-in bidet spray.

Public restrooms are, for the vast majority, spotlessly clean.

Hotel rooms are tiny — and yet almost all of them have a bathtub.

Manhole covers are genuine works of art: cities, symbols, upcoming events, sometimes even Pokémon.

You can actually collect cards depicting the most creative manhole covers.

Everyone queues, no exceptions — subway, escalators. Despite the crowds, no one pushes.

Smoking is banned in most public places — dedicated smoking areas exist, even right in city centres.

You come across a lot of dogs in strollers, often dressed in pretty unlikely outfits.

The Suica card even comes out to pay at the supermarket. It now lives in your phone wallet, which saves hunting for a physical card.

Some subway lines have women-only carriages.

Outside most restaurants, plastic replicas of the dishes are on display — not very appetising, but no bad surprises guaranteed.

On the bus, you only board from the back and pay as you exit at the front. No chance of dodging the fare.

Almost no bins in the street — you keep your rubbish until you're back at the hotel. And yet everything stays spotless. Slip a small plastic bag into your daypack on day one.

People drive on the left, the opposite of back home.

In cemeteries, sotoba — wooden boards engraved with the deceased's name and a Buddhist verse — stand behind each grave.

Arcade photo booths are a world of their own: huge booths, mirrors, endless filters — for a resolutely over-the-top photo.