Hello from the Northern island of Japan, where bears roam...

[TRITON]

My nephews are not long back from Japan. They're both 3rd Dan in Karate and there for some sort of conference with the guys who normally represent Japan in international competition.(I forget the names)

Japan is one of my bucket list destinations, though its so far and so expensive I'm not sure I'll ever make it there, but here's hoping.
Not just for the design aspect of Japanese cabinetry, but also as in my previous employment I was a butcher, and the 'Wagyu' available in the UK is a very poor representation of the beef available there.

So much so I gave them both a £100 specifically to visit a good quality restaurant and sample such The money was not for the entire meal, just the steak, which I understand for delicacies such as that 18,000 Yen will get you a top grade steak.

 

[Bumble]

Keep it on the bucket list; it's not so far and expensive as some think. The flight *is* long; between ten and a half and twelve hours but once you step off the plane, it's very quick through immigration, baggage and customs. If you land at Haneda airport, it's a short bus trip direct to most hotels and this makes the journey a lot easier. If you or someone you know is good at travel plans, it's quite easy to find hotels for about fifty pounds which have larger and more modern rooms than most in Europe!