The airplane ride was rather uneventful . I sat next to an older Japanese man but we did n't talk and in fact I do n't think we even made eye contact the whole 12 hours of flight . ( I ' ve noticed that people on the trains in Tokyo do n't make eye - contact either and people rarely start up conversations with strangers . )

Question: What may be the reason people in Japan do nt start conversations ?
Answer: They are shy and do nt want to look foolish speaking english .They are worried that the stranger will make fun of their accent .The government will punish them if they speak to a foreigner .None of the above choices .