As an island nation with few natural resources, Japan can't afford to be profligate. That means it has something to teach other nations. The country is one of the most energy-efficient industrial countries in the world, and some of Japan's leading companies, such as Toyota and Sharp, are known for technologies that foster greener lifestyles. A conservation mind-set is ingrained into Japanese people from birth, and is apparent in little ways throughout society. Ten years ago, when I first visited Kyoto, I was shocked that public restrooms had no soap, no dispenser full of paper towels — sometimes no toilet paper. In their purses, yamato nadeshiko (women who are, among other things, mindful and prepared) make a point to carry packets of tissue paper with them into the stall, and handkerchiefs to dry their hands. What other country would install devices to mimic the sound of a toilet flushing to discourage the waste of water by modest Japanese anxious to cover the sound of their micturition with multiple flushes?