7 things to avoid while in Japan

I heard these suggestions in a podcast on Japanese culture:

-Always take off your shoes in someone else's house
-Walk on left side, NOT the right side
-Don't call in sick to work. You might get fired. Japanese bosses expect to see you pushing yourself for the good of the company
-Eat together. Never start eating before your friends in a restaurant or at their house.
-Do not tell American jokes. Jokes in Japan have a different protocol. Try avoid to be flippant, because it is seen as a lack of respect.
-Most Japanese understand basic english, but don't assume that they understand any speed or colloquial speech
-Never stick your chopsticks in your rice so that they stand straight up (it stands for "death")
-When you eat Washoku (traditional japanese food), eat a little piece of each dish, do not eat each dish separately.

I got these tips from http://www.blogitjapan.com/. I'm not sure how accurate they are, but I'd love to discuss them with people. Sato Sensei, do you have any insight?