On my first trip to Asia, I spent the first week in Japan and the second week in Hong Kong. The difference was so striking I was in culture shock for the 1st several days in Hong Kong - I do not think one can attribute the differences between these two places simply on the basis of "cultural idiosyncracies".

But the same thing happened when I went to Florida - I spent the first few days in Jacksonville and then flew to Miami for the next couple of days.