Regarding the May 25 article "Traditional merchant values resurgent in recessionary Japan": In my 16 years living and working in Japan, I found the merchant values overwhelmingly positive — once you could communicate in Japanese — especially when shopping for big-ticket items. Anyone who has bought a car or bike in Japan will know how well you're looked after. Japan's after-sales service should be the envy of the rest of the world.
michael bazeley