an experience was illustrative / a case in point

[epistolario]

Whenever I’m in Japan, I cannot help but marvel at the people’s punctuality.
A recent experience was illustrative: My friends and I had just left Mount Akagi in Gunma Prefecture ....

I'm not sure if it's all right to replace illustrative with a case in point:

A recent experience was a case in point: My friends and I had just left Mount Akagi in Gunma Prefecture ....

 

[lingobingo]

Yes, it's a nice phrase and works fine there. But it's more usual to say "is" a case in point.

 

[Dretagoto]

Yes, those are absolutely interchangeable here. It's more common to use the present tense "is", though, rather than "was".

Cross-posted.