No amount of sushi or drunken karaoke sessions can prepare the first-time visitor for the culture shock that is Japan. A society that places an inordinate emphasis on efficiency, cleanliness and politeness, it is impossible for the boorish Western traveller not to feel like a hurricane blasting through a Buddhist temple. Conversely, most Japanese are notoriously forgiving and courteous, and will go to extreme lengths to help a lost or bewildered gaijin (foreigner).