Well, we certainly aren't lacking in the courtesy department. Hell, even I consider myself as a gentleman. Still, there are those that are the complete opposite, & I would advise to stay the hell away from such people.
As for the prices, it might be from the rising costs of shipping, attributed to the ever-so-rising costs of fuel. I swear to god, gasoline is going to become more valuable than gold bullion if this keeps up.
Now, I'm not 100% sure, but I'm leading to believe that you were in some of the more urbanized places in the US. My hometown is a very quiet & quaint place, & is thus surrounded by nature that's untouched by human hands. You might want to keep that in mind...
BTW, isn't Okinawa an island that isn't part of the Japanese mainland?