If anyone gets the chance to go to Japan, you should go. It was amazing, the total flipside to China.

I've been living in Shanghai for nearly a year. I love it here, but you have to get used to a residual amount of hassle and chaos.

Japan is so different.

Firstly, everything is so clean everywhere - from people's shoes to every single taxi. Everything is tidy, spotless and well maintained.

Secondly, people are extremely polite, whether it's buying things in a shop or asking for directions on the street. The trains are always very crowded, but nobody ever pushes past you and there is a natural ordely traffic of people on thr street. I found this to be almost spooky.

Customer service is amazing. If you buy something as trivial as toothpaste, the staff always try their best and go to great lengths to wrap it up for you.

I have never seen so many well dressed people. Older Japanese people look modern and elegant. So many younger people I saw had fun expressing themselves in the clothes they wear. They managed to be cool in a very playful, natural way wearing amazing hats, crazy shoes and colours. I felt very shabby compared with the Japanese.

It also felt that the Japanese have turned capitalism into an art form. The shops were like other worldly theme parks. Looking round the book shops and record shops, it seems they have a deep appreciation of both western popular culture and their own traditions.

I didn't make it to Kimikura or any clubs. I hope to do that next time. I want to go back.

Tokyo is very expensive compared with Shanghai, but there are lots of sales at the moment and it was not as bad as I feared. Basically it costs the same as the UK.

I'm not saying Japan is perfect and I know it has its fair share of economic and social problems, but 3 days in Tokyo was a nice break from Shanghai and its one of the most engaging places I have ever been to.

Any information on your flights, hotels, etc.

I went with CTI, because my girlfriend had to go through a Chinese travel agency and get a visa, so I'm not a typical foreigner going to Tokyo. You can get good deals through elong.

And good real Japanese food is very cheap too. I remember there was this all you can eat sushi buffet for 1,000 yen for men and 700 yen for women. It was a while back but don't think the inflation is significant in Japan. Even I didn't go try any of them, I won't doubt the freshness anywhere in Japan.