Getting there Emirates flies from five UK airports via Dubai, while Malaysia flies from Heathrow via Kuala Lumpur. Japan Airlines flies non-stop from Heathrow-journey time is 12 hours.

Where to stay The international chains are all here, and each offers its own take on the international service blueprint. Try the credit-card shaped Hilton (above), where you can dine amid the twinkle of a million office lights from the skyscrapers that surround you.

Business climate Growth of Japan's largely industrial economy has long been underpinned by the commercial exploits of the Kansai region, and its three metropolitan hubs: Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto. Land prices in Tokyo and Osaka, which took a big hit during the decade-long recession of the 1990s, rose in September 2006 for the first time in 16 years.

Ice breaker A low birth rate means Japan is destined to suffer a pensions crisis similar to our own.

Etiquette The dialect is different here, so don't assume your rudimentary Japanese will get you by. Osakans are known for their impatience, so be on time.

Eat like a local Osaka is widely known as the "kitchen of Japan". Head for the neon-lit streets of Namba, and try out Takoyaki (fried octopus) or Tetchiri, a dish containing the deadly blowfish.