Here are a few observations on Japan. The roads, even with traffic on, seem very very quiet. No one shouts, hollers or talks loudly - except in Shinjuku which is more a piccadilly circus if you like. Everyone in public spaces in fact is very quiet and softly spoken. On trains, apart from us, we only saw a couple of older ladies talking and some school boys too. No one talks on their phones on the trains or metro. They put them on silent and either text, surf or play games. EVERYONE is on their phone on the platforms - in orderly queues of course! They stand in lines where the markers indicate where the doors will open. If the train is full - and it IS full - they turn around and back on to the train.

A theme that seems to be eveywhere was a jingle of music. When you walked into shops, along the high street, at stations when the train stops, at stations when there are no trains. There were bird sounds too. Does this have a calming effect? Well it did feel a little comforting. Even on the Shinkasen, the announcment jingle had the same first three notes of 'God Save The Queen'!

Lots of people dress very neat and tidy, men in dark suits and often with bright tan shoes (much to Franks distaste). The women looked very well presented, as though they had just stepped out of a high end clothes catalogue. Their hair looked very well taken care of, silk like. Not so for the men, as Frank noted. It looks old before their time and as we both noted Japanese men all have the SAME haircut! Honestly we saw two men with a different hair cut - that was it!

We didnt see much in the way of poverty, but we were prodominantly in the very touristy areas. We did see two homeless people come to that. I don't know if the state helps those at the poorer end of things.

Houses are cheap in the north, so Amy was telling us. You can still pick up a big house for around $70,000.

The pace of life here seems to be calm but quick. In Tokyo - or any station - it was always packed. Many, many people to-ing and fro-ing, heads up, walking straight and with purpose. And lots of face masks too. It doesn't stop them sniffing so much though. Lots and lots of sniffing. You just want people to blow their noses. Frank saw one or two older blokes spit into the gutter. 

The food was terrific - bbq and flame grilled food goes down well here. Fresh produce is expensive - no idea why - so they tend to pickle or salt a lot of vegetables. A lot of places ask if you want salt or sauce with your meat. Chickens gizzards, hearts etc are on most menu's too. No we didn't indulge in that one.

A lot of people have been very helpful and kind to us too.