I've been in Japan more than dozen times. Except one - 1.5 day mileage/status run trip - all others were work related. And I have not been anywhere else except Tokyo/Kamakura .

Yet, even after dozen visits, I am (and my wife as well) still in the phase of being fascinated by all this things which is called 'Japan'. From (hilarious) signs in English (better to say - Engrish) at NRT/Yodabashi Camera (and all other places) to everything else - food; daily commute on metro; dress of salarymen; toilets warming your rear end (!); the slurping noise at high-end restaurants; Shibuya with 109 and Hachiko crossing; Harajuku, Yoyogi and Akihabara, little parks popping up suddenly when you stroll on streets; rice crackers; display of plastic food, etc, etc, etc - you know what I am talking about. Needless to say that we watched all episodes of Begin Japanology.

My question to those who frequently go to Japan and those expats who have been living there for years, especially if you speak Japanese fluently - if you had this kind of fascination at the beginning, does it ever get old? These things which can happen 'only in Japan' - are they still happening to you (or you are observing them) after living/visiting Japan number of years/times?

My story of 'only in Japan' - on my return leg from NRT I had NIVEA hand cream small blue container which went loose and got dropped inside of the carry on. The security guy takes small ziploc bag, puts plastic gloves on, puts the hand cream jar inside the ziploc bag, carefully folds the bag around it and with bow gives me back...