Japanese people LOVE fires!

Anytime, pretty much anywhere, there are fires. Japanese people LOVE to burn everything, especially when it's green. So there is a lovely stench in the air and no matter how careful you are your clothes will get smokey. For a week or more there were fires along the river out the front of my place. Such a beautiful aroma to ride my bike through when I am going to and from work.
Another thing in Japan is they are very specific about rubbish collection. We have green bags, blue bags, yellow bags, and brown bags. Apparently there is another colour aswell. WHAT FOR??? Green is for household rubbish, Blue is for aluminium cans, yellow is for plastic bottles (but never the lids) and brown is for ceramics. I have been told that even though we separate them, guess what happens??? Anyone?? Yes, they burn them all! They separate them because they burn them at different temperatures. HEY?? We also have big rubbish day!!! Rubbish collection and the abundance of fires are about the wackiest cultural difference I have experienced.