053. Ben's Japan deep dive: bullet trains, 7-eleven sandwiches & a bag search.

This week we go long: a special-edition deep dive into Japan, with Ben just back and Richard about to go. In ~35 minutes we:

•     Set the scene on Ben's 16-day trip — a work convention, a side hop to Seoul, and about eight days of free time.

•     Tackle temple (and Japanese garden) overload — and Ben's confession that he only actually made it to one temple.

•     Investigate the 7-Eleven fruit sandwich, and why you can eat well from a Japanese convenience store all day long.

•     Reframe the Shinkansen: it's not a plane, it's public transport — be at the door or end up 100km down the line.

•     Unlock the transit card already hidden in your iPhone (Suica / iCoca in Apple Wallet) and Ben's top-up-to-zero trick.

•     Rank the top three highlights: a very thorough airport bag search, a whiskey distillery, a knife shop, and an RC-car mecca in Akihabara.

•     Notice what works differently: running-water soundtracks in toilets, heated seats everywhere, polite walking 'overtakes', and a lift rated for 15 people at 66kg each.

•     Wander off-map through a Kanazawa ramen bar, a samurai district, and the bar from Lost in Translation (cover charge and all).

•     Answer the big one — would Ben go back? (Yes, just maybe not Tokyo.) Plus a reminder that a weak yen and a Wise card make for smart timing.

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