One bullet train from Okayama to Shin-Osaka, one train from Shin-Osaka to Osaka station, and one more train from Osaka station to Shin-Imamiya later, we were back in Osaka and near our hotel. We headed to a different hotel this time - and it was much worse than the first bad one. It had an even smaller room, wifi was poor and only in communal areas, there was only one toilet per floor, and it was full of funky bad smells. Thankfully, we were only staying for one night and heading off to our next destination the following morning.

After arriving and checking in, we did a little planning and preparation for our next stop, and took a metro into Osaka centre. Here, we went to a different vegetarian restaurant to those previously visited, and had a lovely meal. We took the metro back to our hotel again, did some essential washing and packing, and hunkered down for the night.

The following morning, we checked out, grabbed breakfast and had to buy a train ticket! Our JR passes had expired! One quick train ride later, we made it to the airport ready for an epic journey to the next destination - Kathmandu, Nepal!

Our summary of Japan - we loved it! The country is full of cultural and natural beauty. The transport is quick, efficient and punctual although confusing and composed of several de-centralised private entities, that don't always tie together logically or at all. The people are very friendly and always eager to help.

Unfortunately for budget backpacker travellers, Japan is expensive! And in order to travel on a budget it can be necessary to stay in some quite run down establishments. On the flip side, when we managed to book far enough in advance or were forced to spend a little extra cash, Japan has some on the best, cleanest and cosiest accommodation we have stayed in. Yes, the toilets are covered in buttons, some open the lid for you automatically when you enter the room and some even play music or you!

Japan is full of amazing Shinto and Buddhist temples, as well as castles and forts. Many more than we could cram in to a visit, and as lovers of temples and castles we really tried! Although there is a set theme to temples and their layouts each one holds its own unique charm and beauty.

The flora and landscape of Japan is stunning, and apparently even more so during the cherry blossom season in spring and the autumn leaf season that we witnessed the very beginning of. Even though we were not there during these seasons Japan's landscape was still stunning. And the fauna does not lack either - with tame deer and wild monkeys readily available, as well as more elusive bears (that we did not see) in the north.

Kyoto was a definite highlight among the cities, as it is surrounded by mountain side temples and contains both traditional Geisha districts and gaudy, crowded, luminescent shopping streets. But just like the temples every city had its charms, from the harrowing truths of Hiroshima to the castle of Osaka and the deer filled gardens of Nara.

Japan is a place we would recommend to anyone interested in culture and wildlife, and somewhere we could see ourselves returning to in the future.