The perfect society?

A year ago, I was sitting in another hotel bar at the top of a skyscraper in Shanghai, China. There are many similarities between these two Asian capitals of commerce, surprisingly many considering the fact that Japan is an established industrial nation - one of the richest in the world - and the fact that China is still considered a developing country.

I like Tokyo, I like the order, I like the politeness and I like the peace and quiet. Yes, really. People reserve seats in cafeterias by putting their bags on the chair and then walking to the counter. When people park their bikes they don't lock them because they don't need to. And when people enter shops there are special "umbrella wrappers" that wraps wet umbrellas in plastic to prevent you from accidentally rubbing your wet umbrella against someone.

This is one of the biggest cities in the world with all the services you wuld expect in such a city, but there are almost non of the problems usually associated with large cities. This is what a society with a virtually 100% employment rate looks like.

The view is from the Peak Lounge & Bar at the top of the Park Hyatt Tokyo in the Shinjuku Park Tower skyscraper, a bar familiar to those who have seen "Lost in Translation" - as central as it gets in Tokyo.