Like any American living in America, I wore my shoes in the house.  Shoes on the sofa, shoes on the bed, shoes in the shower, shoes in the backyard, then back in the house.  I didn't think twice about it.  Living in Japan opened my eyes.

Take your

This is the first of a hopefully continuing series of "USA vs. Japan" articles featuring my snap impressions of Japanese things and how they compare to the USA equivalent.  My first chosen topic is a brief and easy one--Subway Sandwich.

Although it doesn't have the mammoth presence that McDonald's has, Subway Sandwich is indeed here in Japan.  Unlike McDonald's, however, it's notably different from USA's Subway Sandwich, making my longing for a real USA sub all the more tender and wistful.  Long story short, Japan's Subway Sandwich totally sucks ass, and USA wins this one hands down.  Here's why...

I recently started my own IT consulting business here in Japan, and needless to say it was quite a learning experience.  Hoping to relieve others from some of the tedium, I compiled an outline of the process along with some tips for starting your very own Japanese company.

Get a JETRO Library Card - www.jetro.go.jp
JETRO stands for “The Japan External Trade Organization,” and they're a prime information resource for starting your own business in Japan.  Although their free consulting services only apply to foreign companies seeking to start operations in Japan, their free library contains a surprisingly comprehensive amount of information in English, so it's a fantastic place to educate yourself.  In fact, much of the basic information about

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A week before moving to Japan I was called to jury duty.  My happiest day was calling them and telling them that I can't make it...ever.  They added a note to my “juror profile” regarding the international move, and asked me to call them when I move back to the USA.  “Yeah...sure...I'll do that,” I sarcastically replied.  And that was that.  All I had to do was move out of the country, and I was officially exempt from jury duty forever.

Wrong.

Over the next several years I was called to jury duty many times.  The summons notifications were mailed to both my old address in North Hollywood as well as my parents' address in West LA.  I was no longer a