Ah yes, the loudness thingy. Japanese people are so fond of silence. It's everywhere, but the most obvious is inside trains. Regular train announcements remind commuters not to talk on the phone. Talking loudly is frowned upon. Some high school students don't seem to care about this unspoken 2nd rule though, and they have no qualms about talking loudly.
Based on my own experiences, I'm willing to bet that you're absolutely right about what the people at the Japanese fair were thinking. LOL
