Movie Night

I went to a movie last week, and a few things about the Japanese cinema caught my attention.

1. Assigned seating. When you buy your ticket, you can select your row and seat number, but you are not to sit anywhere else.

2. Tickets cost $17, unless you go on Ladies' Night or Men's Night (Tuesdays and Thursdays respectively) when they are $10, or if you go on Couples' Night (21st of every month) when they are $22 for two people.

3. Outside each theatre door is a rack of neatly stacked blankets (for all to use) and a bin to put them in after the film.

4. Japanese folks, without fail, stay to watch the credits. All of them. To the very end, and the house lights come on.

5. Before the previews in a "Save our movies" campaign, a beautiful Japanese girl crying a stream of black tears, reminds the viewers not to watch pirated films.