We only spent two weeks in Japan but we covered a lot of ground, and so feel like we have earned the right to share some semi-informed opinions. Without doubt some of them are pretty superficial, and may well not hold true if we had spent longer here, but here goes in no particular order of a few takeaways…

• Public Transport in Japan is excellent, it is good value, reliable and very clean. It hasn’t been as busy as expected.
• Cleanliness and hygiene levels are very high, both inside and on the streets. Loving the electric toilets in particular. Will be looking into getting one at home.
• Communication hasn’t been as difficult as expected… so much of it is in your physical actions… smiling and nodding and pointing, with a few words thrown in, will get you a long way.
• Food has been really good quality and reliable, but at times difficult to navigate and sometimes hard to find restaurants. That’s before you try and decipher some of the more exotic menus.
• There are very few cold snack options for lighter meals, maybe because people don’t eat in the street. Which is different to anywhere else we’ve been. Vegetables are in short supply.
• It appears to be a very polite and rules based culture, and feels very safe which makes it easy to get around and explore. It’s also a very trusting culture, people leave things like wallets or mobile phones unattended in public whilst ordering food at the counter or going to the toilet.
• More cash based than expected, cards/Apple Pay are not accepted everywhere. They do love a private charge card however which can be used on trains, in shops, or at vending machines.
• The lack of bins is frustrating – we like the idea of everyone taking their rubbish home with them, but carrying around 4 empty bento boxes, or empty coffee cups for hours on end isn’t ideal.
• Whilst there is lots of obvious progress from a sustainability perspective, there is still a lot of plastic and single use plastic. Recycling appears to be limited to glass, cans and plastic bottles only.
• School children appear to be everywhere and at all times of today. Still don’t understand why. Love their uniforms!
• Designer handbags are all the rage (also lots of pre-loved designer shops). In fact the fashion in Japan is pretty cool in general, with each city having its own feel. Tokyo much more understated and shades of black, grey and beige. Osaka by contrast feels much more vibrant and cool.
• Everything is small and ergonomically perfect in design. Including lockers which are everywhere. And free or very cheap. There does appear to be a bit of tech over-engineering however in some areas.
• They are well geared up for the rain. Everyone carries Umbrellas. All the time. Bags and stands everywhere going into buildings for wet weather gear. They are also impressive at cycling one handed carrying umbrellas often with kids in tow.
• Small dogs and cats are all the rage however they are treated more like play things and toys than animals. There is no need for animals to be wearing coats, especially in 30c heat. Didn’t love pet shops with puppies in window.
• They have a strong cultural identity and a very strong set of traditions but they are very discreet with it. They don’t advertise it proudly.  We haven’t seen a single Japanese flag flying anywhere. And we love a flag photo so has been odd not to see it even on official government or state buildings.

Overall though, we must say, Japan has been a truly wonderful country to visit, such a contrast to anywhere else we have been. We will absolutely be back and would certainly encourage anyone considering going, not to hesitate for a moment further, just book your tickets and start planning your adventure.