I deal with many cultures from many parts of the world and the restaurant you can really see the differences.  I feel that Americans when trying new things are very aggressive and go getters.  On the otherhand when Japanese are trying new things they tend to be patient and very passive.  If you take language for instance if an American is trying to speak japanese he will present himself with confidence as though he can speak the language very well (this can reflect badly).  Where as a Japanese person would be more reserved and look for more reassurances when speaking, or they might not even begin to try for fear of being judged.  Now I’m not saying one is better than the other but in these two situations they can all learn from each other.