Japan69, Nihongo ga wakarimasu, deshou? Boku wa ni nenkan Nihon ni sumimashita. Daitai 8/89 kara 8/91 made. I don't usually find many Americans who can speak Japanese. I'm sure you've picked up a lot in seven years. Are you over there for the military, business, or some other reason?
The character on your back is 'heiwa' for those interested in the actual word (pronounced kind of like 'haywa'), and yes, it means 'peace.' Great work, keep it up.
The lifestyle there really is not that different from the U.S. People assume that it is, but if you are in Tokyo or other major cities, they've actually become quite Americanized--and that was even during the two years that I lived there. You have to go to some really inaka or "country" places in Japan to have a radical change in lifestyle.