The bow
This is something tricky even for the Japanese. Whole books have been written on the subject. Do not worry about it too much. Do a half bow and greet each person you meet, introducing yourself. Just showing that you are making an effort to adjust to their culture will make them happy. Do not try to go overboard with the bow. At the end of the evening when saying "sayonara" its important to bow. Here is where you can get your practice with bowing, as it will usually take several bows for each person before all parties are happy. Just go along with all the bowing until everyone else stops.