Business people and even the elderly ride around the cities and towns as if it were the most natural thing to do. It took a few near misses however before we got used to cycling on the left side of the street. On New Years Day we avoided one of the downpours under the roof of a Mitsubishi gas station. Environmental issues don't seem very big in Japan. Buy a couple of carrots and they'll be shrink wrapped in plastic and styrofoam, and then bagged a few times.
Recycling is almost non-existent, except for metal cans.
Everything else is either burned or buried. They do have some interesting approaches towards saving water. The toilets, at which one squats to use, have small or large flush modes. And as the tank refills, the water runs through a spout under which you can rinse your hands. You wash your body before entering.