Waking up to a bright sunny day (typical), we head off to the daunting Shinjuku train station to begin the twenty four hour journey home. Giving ourselves an extra half an hour to get from the entrance of the station to the platform (the station is that big), we board the train and reach Narita airport only to find our plane is delayed by an hour and a half.
In spite of the initial delay, our flights are fine and we have no problem catching our connecting flight from Heathrow and arriving on time.

Reaching Leeds Bradford airport at 9.30pm the following day; we are driven home by a very friendly cabbie.

We really didn't know that much about Japan, it's culture or people before we visited, and therefore we did not know what to expect. So what did we make of it?

We found it very different from other Asian countries we have visited. It is a rich and properous nation and therefore it's people are not out for a quick buck. So you feel at ease whenever, and wherever you are purchasing. The Japanese are so polite to the extent of unbelievable - going out of their way to help you in anyway they can - so much so that you end up feeling guilty for asking for help. This politeness extends to wearing white cotton masks in public - this is not because they are afraid of catching germs but to stop them spreading theirs when they have a cold or hay-fever.

Very quiet and well mannered they go about their business with dignity and purpose. A good example of the Japanesse attitude v the Brit is Jay-walking is unheard of; even if there is no traffic in sight they still wait for the little green man. Guess what we do??

The toilets are another matter altogether. With so many buttons, k*** and sounds, that to find the flush is a feat. They are spotlessly clean and we have never seen so many public toilets at stations and department stores etc... which is great when you are out all day.

Food - Japanese food is so different to what we are used to; textures are odd, combinations seem strange, meat and fish is often eaten raw, and some of the ingredients quite unbelievable and extremely unusual. The plastic displays of food outside almost all restaurants really put us off, but some of the establishments we ate in surprised and delighted us with their food and of course the wonderful service. However, we found it quite difficult in some towns to find English menus or speaking people which made eating out quite hard work. The people (we are told and have now seen) take pride in whatever job they do whether it's cleaning or managing a multimillion yen company - and therefore no tips, whatsoever are expected for service. It can even be seen as an insult to tip.

Traveling is made easy once you have mastered the tube maps and got used to the volume of commuters. The Shinkansen ( bullet trains) are fast, smooth, reliable and very comfortable indeed. Again, the politeness of the staff is unbelievable such as the customary bow as the guard or trolley dolly exits the carriage!

We have come to the conclusion that it rains an awful lot in Japan - not just through personal experience but the fact that at every hotel, restaurant, department store etc.. there are free umbrella covers on offer. Free use of umbrellas is common place in nearly all establishments and the range and quality of umbrellas for sale is outstanding - so much so that I bought one. Paper shopping bags are also covered in an extra layer of plastic to protect the purchase inside.

The cities and towns themselves are bland and the houses quite plain, but the scenery is very green and mountainous. The huge neon signs on equally massive skyscrapers in the big cities such as Tokyo brighten up the vista. Kyoto; both modern and old is very interesting with it's hundreds of shrines, temples and gardens, not to mention historic Gion - the home of the Geisha and Kabu-ki. Hiroshima even with it's infamous history was a delight; people were happy and at ease with their past - only looking to the future. Takayama at the base of the Japanese Alps was a pleasant contrast to the big cities, with it's traditional Hida village high up on the snowy slopes. The remote island of Ishikagi though beautiful and completely different to the rest of Japan was a bit of a let down - probably due to the awful wet weather.

Don't visit Japan if you want a relaxing holiday; however, do visit if you want to be mentally and culturally stimulated. A very interesting trip made by the BRILLIANT JAPANESE PEOPLE and of course the comments we received from you lot out there!