Japan may be renowned for its high speed bullet trains, but a new kind of rail revolution is set to put the wheels of the country’s economic growth in motion. The Seven Stars in Kyushu is one in a number of luxurious cruise trains charging big bucks to meander through Japan's exquisite countryside.

Home to 460,000 HNWIs – more than any other city in the world – Tokyo is a playground for the world’s luxury brands, considered a laboratory for new products due to the notoriously high standards of the Japanese elite. But who exactly are they and how are they spending their cash?

Hong Kong is losing its lustre as the place for wealthy Chinese to see and be seen – and to shop. A cocktail of financial and cultural factors are driving mainland Chinese tourists and shoppers farther afield, and luxury brands in Tokyo are starting to feel the benefit.

HNWIs can take their pick of the finest luxury brands, defined by having a net worth of at least $2 million. There are 13.7 million of these consumers globally, but with so much to spend, how do they choose where to splash the cash first? And as their ranks grow, how will luxury shopping change?