In Japan, you sit down at almost any restaurant. Before you order. Before you’ve said a word. The server brings: a glass of ice water, a hot wet towel rolled up like a present, sometimes a small dish of pickles or edamame. You haven’t paid for any of it. You don’t tip for any of it. The towel is hot in winter. Cold in summer. Always exactly when you needed it. Not because someone is hoping for a tip. Because the country decided long ago that being a guest should start with comfort, not negotiation. Think about the last time a restaurant gave you something just because they were happy you came. In Japan, that’s not a gesture. That’s the opening line.