Are You Woman Enough for Japan?

More often than not, the common conception of a Japanese woman is one who is slender and sophisticated, delicate and dainty. As with all generalizations, while this may often be the case, it is by no means a steadfast rule. In my few short weeks here, I have noticed that there are some things in Japanese life that it takes a real woman to accomplish.
Last night, for example, Rod and I were biking home from grocery shopping. As we were driving down the road nearing our house, there was a man in need of a ....how shall I say...pit stop? His fly was wide open, button undone, and he was feeling a whole lot better about himself. This leads to another aspect: public washrooms. The majority of ladies' rooms here are what I would call "squatters." There is no holding bar, no seat, no lid, just a toilet in the floor. I am very thankful to have learned the "squatting skill" while in the treeplanting camps...I just didn't expect that I would have to use it ever again!
Even daily transportation on the bicycle takes a special skill. It is not uncommon to see women, with skirts well above their knees, sitting primly on the seat with nothing questionable showing. And then there are those who can talk on a cell phone and hold an umbrella while doing this...something I can only dream about and strive for at this point.
And who can forget the festivals: particularly the fighting festival. I was surrounded by literally hundreds, if not thousands, of men of all shapes and sizes and ages in loin cloths! As if that wasn't enough, an 80 year old (ish) drunk man tried to come on to me. How do you politely say "Sorry, I'm not your type" when you don't speak Japanese?
It's all in a days' work. Kudos to these women of Japan!