Address someone 名前を呼ぶ

How to distinguish "Sie" and "du" is not the same as in Japan. Of course there will never be a problem as far as we use "Sie" in our sense. "Du" can be widely used.
One of the reasons could be that the age difference is not so important here than in Japan. So to say colleagues would soon call each other with "du" even with their boss if they are not too older. But my boss already knows that I could have problem to call him with "du", he still does not say against to it. The definite difference; it is acceptable to be called with first name but really rude and bad with family name. We do it completely opposite. It seems to be difficult to get used to call my boss "du"...
One thing also important here is to call our colleague or boss with Mr or Mrs in front of the customers or on telephone, but in Japan it is quite impolite to customers. We just call them with their family name only.
In Germany they generally call each other with "Sie" within colleagues. Added 01.19.2003

日本では中学生くらいになると、クラスの友達でも苗字に”くん”や”さん”をつけて呼ぶようになりますし、それ以降はほとんどが苗字で人を呼ぶようになります。下の名前をどう漢字で書くか知らない人もいるはずです。
こちらでは、人を苗字で呼び捨てにすると非常に失礼になるらしく、たとえ年上であっても名前を呼び捨てにする方がいいようです。日本とは全く反対ですね。
ドイツでは同僚を敬称で呼びあうところが多いようです。 追記 2003。01.19.

St.Nikolaus 聖ニコラウス

We have also Christmas or some Halloween events in Japan, but still not Nikolaus. Children disguise or put sweet costumes on and visit every cafe or restaurants to beg for juice or snacks and looks like Halloween. I heard that Halloween tradition was imported from USA recently but no connection with Nikolaus.

日本にはない、キリスト教圏で子供にとって大切な日が12月6日のニコラウスの日です。子供がチョコレートをねだる日かとばかり思っていましたが、子供たちが仮装してお店にやってきてジュースやビール！をねだったりします。
こちらにはハロウィーンというものはもともとなく、最近アメリカからやってきた文化らしいのですが、見た感じハロウィーンのような雰囲気です。