It is official, I am a jerk

I had a policy to never open my door to anyone in Japan unless I knew them. I am a single woman living alone and I just feel like anyone who needs someone can either leave the bill in my mailbox or ask the question through the door. This policy started my first week in Japan when the cable man came to my door at 9 PM on a Friday night demanding 3000 yen for cable that I didn't even know that I had (and certainly never used). Apparently this is common and I was right not to open my door since the cable men here can become rather persistent.

Tonight at about 10 PM my doorbell rings. I don't answer it and continue about my business. A minute later it rings again. I peer through the peephole and see a man and a woman standing there. Must be jehovahs witnesses, I think. I have had them by before and when I pretend not to speak a word of Japanese they usually go away. But I am in my PJs and I just don't feel like chatting to anyone so I don't answer. A minute later it rings again. I yell out HELLO? (hoping if it is indeed a JV they will be scared off by the English) and the couple yells back, "Umm are you speak Japanese?" "A little," I say, "Can I help you?" "Is this your phone?" they answer. At this I open the door and see them standing there hold my cell phone. They explained that they live across the way and found the cell phone on the street. I am really embarassed at this point that I left them out there in the cold, windy night and thank them profusely for returning my cell phone to me. It is all cracked up but otherwise fine. It must have fallen out of my pocket when I went to the grocery store.

And that is Japanese hospitality for you. Amazing, I say. I am shocked that anyone in my apartment building or on my street even notices my presence. And here there is this couple who braved the cold, rain and wind to guess that the phone with all of the English sounding names in it might belong to the foreigner who lives in the apartment near their house. Wow. Just wow.