I awake to the drone of the air conditioner. All, bar one, of the hotels have had tiny rooms, they get stuffy. The normal position for any of the interiors I visited is hot, the trains, restaurants, bars, lobbys. Hot. Ariving anywhere the first action is to partially disrobe, it is the norm. Thoughtfully there are hangers everywhere, unthoughtfully this means that they can pick up the smells of the food cooking, the smokers or the barbecues depending on your location. Because of the size of the rooms, you often having to step over your case to get to the door. In the Niigata hotel room, I had to keep the case folded to get in to the bathroom, in all of them I have been able to touch all four walls when standing in the centre. If they have a bath they are deep, short but deep. Except for Sapporo, I used the Dormy Inn chain. These all have an Onsen for public bathing, free coffee and ramen when you come in on a night. They have all been spotlessly clean.

All the hotels provide pyjamas and slippers with a note that you can wear them whilst moving around the hotel. A curious sight was breakfast time, with everyone wearing the same clothes, like a posh prison.

On arrival into the Hotels, the staff are always impeccably uniformed, the check-in desks are arranged with a little roped queing area, then with little tables in front of each clerk so you can place your bags whilst being served. You are presented, on a little tray, a hot napkin with which to wipe your hands. (The napkin thing happens everywhere you eat or drink, always before your meal or drink). Everywhere I went, when you hand something over, whether it be cash, card, passport etc. it is placed on to a little tray, they then pick the tray up, with two hands and then deal with the contents. Handing things back is always two handed with lots of felicitations.

Splashed out in Sapporo for the hotel room, to give my girl a treat, after her stay in the gulag. The hotel was only 6 days old and very snazzy. Even came with its own mobile phone for you to take out. A larger room this one with deep bath. A selection of salts where available with a guide to using them. A little instruction booklet gave length of stay in the bath required and at which temperature to ease away the days tribulations. Helpfully they provide a floating thermometer to get this right.

A last walk around Ueno. This a market, restaurant, ramen bar area under railway the railway foundations. The lights, the smells, the hazy smokey atmosphere, the continual movement of trains above, the neon adverts blasting out song and voice. It’s Blade Runner, if Ridley Scott didn’t come here, he must have seen pictures. I for once wished for rain.

Toilets

Japan has the finest toilets in the World. I can say this unequivocally without the need to visit another one, country not toilet. To put another diamond on the crown, there are lots of them. They are clean and they work. Strangely though, although you can always wash your hands, drying is more trouble, they don’t do paper towels and rarely blowers. The automated washes, front and back with adjustable pressure and temperature are something to behold. Even the pokiest of bars have these toilets. Also, in a bit of great design, all urinals have a little hook to hang your umbrella.