13. Janken Pon (Rock-Paper-Scissors) solves EVERYTHING
In February of 2014, when 3 inches of snow brought Tokyo’s entire infrastructure to a grinding halt, I was stuck a mere six stops from my destination on the Tozai line. Stricken by the lack of open seats, I noticed someone had abandoned theirs. When he came back 15 minutes later and was noticeably unimpressed with my impromptu English lesson in “Move Your Feet, Lose Your Seat,” I challenged him to janken pon and won. He unquestioningly shook my hand and walked away.