Swords Should Stay Alone

The three groups should unite, settle their differences and give Europe the leadership, said Sakawa. Chris couldn't agree more. His friend shares his view.
Nakamora just listens. He toys around the chopsticks. A range of Japanese food already laid out on the table. He marvels at the rich spectrum of taste in a Japanese meal - miso soup, tempura, kikkoman sauce, radish, wasabe. Ranging from something that is more or less tasteless to something that tastes good at first but gradually bites you like hot peppers. All are served in one serving, but each in small quantities.
This is the first time this Belgium guy, Chris, is in Japan. On chopstick he agrees that the Japanese ones are easier to operate than the generally lacquered, and hence slippery Chinese ones. He remarked how his other half lost weight while in China just by using chopstick when eating. The conversation moves on to about traveling, about seeing the world, learning from experience, and the many different peoples and cultures. Sometimes they are much more different, and the opposite of what we originally expected.
So, why is it that in Japan you drive on the left hand side of the road, asked Chris.
There are reasons for everything, quipped Sakawa. A sword worn by a Japanese should not touch another. It is an invitation to fight. Swords are worn on the left so that it can be drawn out easily using the right hand. To avoid accidentally touching other people's sword while passing each other, they walked on the left hand side. When we have cars, we just follow the convention. Sakawa explained, but did not confirm if that is the truth. Doesn't matter. There is always something new to learn. Nakamora too did not know that.