Etiquette

Neither of us want to be viewed as boorish tacky American tourists. We want to be gracious guests during our stay in Japan. That being said, I've tried to read as much as possible on proper etiquette in Japan to prepare. Here are some interesting faux pas I came across during my research:

-Never blow your nose in public in Japan. It's considered incredibly rude. (Yet Japanese men still urinate in the streets!)
-Tipping is not common in Japan and if you try to tip someone they will get confused.
-Japanese people bow upon meeting each other. Some of them even bow when they answer the telephone. When greeting or thanking another person, not bowing lower than an elder or a person of higher social status is considered impolite.
-Eating and drinking while walking is considered rude.
-Passing food from one pair of chopsticks to another is considered bad manners.
-Take your shoes off upon entering an inn, temple, shrine, home, and most museums and restaurants. Sometimes slippers will be available for you to use. If you're using the restroom, there is another set of slippers to use. Don't forget to change back into your hallway slippers after you're done using the facilities!
-Don't give a Japanese person a gift in a set of 4. This number symbolizes death.
-When eating rice with chopsticks, don't leave the sticks in the rice as this is only done at funerals.

All of these rules seem relatively easy to follow. I have read that Japanese people are fairly forgiving of Western tourists if a social blunder is committed.