Money Tray

One of the things that struck me when I first went though a Japanese store was use of a little tray for your money when you pay for something.  For having a reputation of being very technologically forward, nearly all shopping transactions are still conducted using cash, and the exchange at the register reflects this.  After you've been given a price by the cashier, you place the money you intend to pay with onto a small tray; you don't hand the money over directly.  Sometimes more than one tray gets involved, where your change gets placed in a second tray while your original money remains set aside until the transaction is complete.  While it has something to do politeness, it also serves as a good delay for me - I'm not 100% familiar with the coins and often need a moment to count out what I need!