I went with the family in June. The guide gave a good commentary in English. Compared to the UK manufacturer’s museums it had a lot of interesting concept cars and the Mazda design philosophy and technology was emphasised so it made one want to buy into the Madza brand. Not that I or my son needed much convincing.
Sounds great. How did you find Japan in general?
Japan is interesting and reminds me of what we have lost in this country. Everywhere is clean with no litter, people are polite and the trains run on time. The equivalent of an Oyster card works on trains, trams and buses in any city. They take a pride in their job no matter how humble. Once you are there prices are reasonable.
Yes, sounds great. Compare and contrast to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 
I’ve seen a few ‘walk around’ videos of Japan, and yes, seems like a different universe to Britain. Always wanted to go there. I love their JDM vans like the Velfire, Hiace, Elgrand etc, and would probabyl just spend my time looking at every other car lol
I take it you don’t have zillions of people pavement riding on e-scooters, or say zillions ‘driving’ while using their mobile phones and maybe dumping their fast food waste out of their car window (along with a bottle of booze their drinking) along the nearest country lane? Maybe not so many masked e-bike or moped ‘drivers’ pinching hand held phones either?
I often wonder what say ‘scaffolders’ are like in Japan. I wonder if they are like the ones next to me y’day. Arrive ‘driving’ on their phones. Idle their car, half on the person’s drive, half totally covering the pavement so no one can pass on foot, open the door after 10 mins and clear his nose, then stick the scaffolding poles up, but me having to tell them I don’t want them sticking their scaffold against my wall (which they did), nor leaving a 3 tier ladder against my fascia board (like they did). Then chucking a coffee cup in the road as they drove off. Are scaffolders like that in Japan?
Saying all of that, Japan has a much higher suicide rate than the UK. So all may not be the rosy tree it seems?
Hi IanHP,
I have both Suica and Icoca cards and find them very useful in convenience and other stores too! The JR Rail pass did give access to cheap travel but I think prices have been hiked recently. I remember paying about £300 for a 3 week card but now it’s over £500. I potted up my Shinkansen, bus and ferry travels for that trip and, without the pass it would have cost me £1300+++!
My flights from Haneda to Nagasaki last March cost me £90 return.
I am planning my 24th trip at the moment!
Ofiaich
Hi ND12,
Japan has problems now with over tourism and also immigration. Some tourists travel for a three week holiday and then claim asylum, other tourists making stupid tic-toc videos on subway trains, or scaling castle walls. Many cases like these! I could write more but better not!
On a positive note, Yen is weak against the pound . £1.00 - 195 yen approximately.
Ofiaich 
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