If you’re visiting somewhere then you’re probably going to use public transport.

If you’re visiting somewhere then you’ve probably not got lots of change in your pocket.

That’s unlucky for anyone who visits York. In our ten years there we came to dread the moment you got on a bus bearing paper money because of the sour and unhelpful disdain with which you’ll be treated.

Taking a bus in Kyoto has been lovely – you pay a flat fare wherever you’re headed and chuck the correct coins into the machine next to a friendly driver.

And change? Not a problem because they have a machine next to the driver that will take whatever you’ve got in your wallet and change it to a selection of change that will cover the fare.

It may make getting off a bus a little sluggish but it’s no slower than the palava of sorting out a ticket or sufficient credit before you board or interacting with the driver as you board. The best thing is that this lo-tech solution works perfectly no matter what you’ve got in your pocket.

It’s this attention to detail that is one of the most striking things about Japan. We popped into a supermarket the other day and when the cashier put our items through and I handed over the money the till produced the correct change for her – genius.