After mostly walking around the city in the late afternoon, we decided to have a late night walk last night.

The vibe of the city was completely different, and even though it was a Monday night it was so busy!

One observation I noticed was how different Western and Eastern food and drink culture is.

For example - in the UK, pubs are open from around 10am, (some are even open all day and night!) whereas in Japan it seems like most pubs do not open until at least 5pm. In the West alcohol is very prevelant, and people will drink beer with their lunch, and in some cases even with a cooked breakfast at a pub! 

Most restaurants in the UK close at around 10-11pm, whereas it seems that in Japan many 'Izakaya' and small table and chairs style bars and eateries are only just opening at this time! 

I have heard from many students in China how it is quite normal to go out for barbeque food with your family and friends at midnight or even later, as these places do not even start opening until then. By midnight, my family in the UK will have probably been asleep for an hour or more already!