Guidebooks

It's a good idea to start by looking at a good guidebook. Our strong favorite for the country as a whole was the Rough Guide to Japan by Simon Richmond and Jan Dodd — we much preferred it to Lonely Planet or the Frommers/Fodors books. The third edition is an excellent guidebook, so I can only hope that the newest one is good too.

I have heard strong recommendations for the Kodansha guide Gateway to Japan. It is highly outdated on hotel, restaurant, and transport information, but said to have the best historical and contextual information of any book.

Other books depend on how into these things you are. I love the beautiful illustrated A Year in Japan by Kate Williamson. Also, the Tokyo City Atlas: A Bilingual Guide is essential if you — like me — can't deal with traveling in a big city without a good map. I'm not usually one for phrasebooks, but Fingertip Japanese is actually really useful; it contains numerous word lists (e.g., types of sushi) with English, Japanese, and transliterated Japanese given for each item.

For Tokyo, we had great luck with the Time Out Guide to Tokyo (although haven't used the new 5th edition). We lived in Tokyo for a year; for less than a few days’ stay, the Tokyo section of the Rough Guide is likely to suffice. If you'll be in Tokyo for a while, though, or are only going to Tokyo…

Itinerary

The major question is (of course) how much time you have. There is a sort of “standard” Japan itinerary, which is justly popular and is basically something like Tokyo (2-3 days), Kyoto (2-3), Nara (1) with various combinations of additions like Mt. Fuji [nature, climbing season 7/1–8/31] (1), Hakone [nature and hot springs] (1), Kamakura [history] (1), Himeji [history] (0.5), Hiroshima [history] (1).

Clearly you could choose a more “off the beaten path” itinerary, but I would only recommend it if you're there two weeks… or have been to Japan before and feel like you've covered the major cities and sites.

The main shinkansen line (for which you'll probably want to buy a rail pass before you go — can't get one there) goes through Tokyo, Kyoto, Himeji, and Hiroshima. Kamakura and Mt. Fuji are accessible from Tokyo, Nara from Kyoto.

Other things I could recommend are

• Driving around the Izu peninsula (Izu Hanto)

• Hanging out in Karuizawa

• Templing and hiking around Nikkko

• Exploring central Honshu: Matsumoto, Takayama, Ogimachi, Kanazawa

• Poking around quaint Kurashiki and Takahashi

• Driving around north Kyushu: Fukuoka, Dazaifu, Nagasaki, the Shimabara peninsula, Kumamoto, Mt. Aso

• Sunning in “tropical” Miyazaki

Things to check out in Tokyo

A few of my favorite things in Tokyo:

• The Tokyo National Museum: unmissable collection of Japanese art.

• The Mitsuo Aida Museum: a phenomenal museum in the basement of the Tokyo International Forum housing the 20th century calligraphic work of Mitsuo Aida.

• The Edo-Tokyo Museum: a wonderful city history museum.

• Watching Sumo near the Edo-Tokyo museum. See if there is a tournament going on during your visit. If you go, also have a meal of chanko-nabe (the tasty stew wrestlers eat).

• Walking around west Tokyo's shopping neighborhoods; it is a great weekend walk from Daikanyama's euroboutiques to Shibuya's frenetic department stores, and up to Harajuku's Japanese boutiques (particularly around Takeshita-dori), then down fancy Omote-sando, and around the neighborhood of boutiques just off it. The walk from Shibuya to Harajuku should take you through Yoyogi park, where bands play on weekends, and by the “dancing Elvises” and costume play “freaks” outside the entrance to Meiji shrine. Also a great walk during the week, but sans bands, Elvises, and freaks.

• Meiji shrine.

• The design stores around Jiyugaoka (also, the bookstore/giftshop Village Vanguard in that neighborhood).

• The sketchy nightlife around Shinjuku.

• A phenomenal tofu restaurant in the mall above Ebisu station.

• Tsukji fish market early in the morning: do not miss visiting the fish market. I went every time we had visitors, and never got tired of it. Check the calendar before you go to avoid closures (marked in red and blue, generally Wednesdays and Sundays). The auctions start early: arrive at 5:15, head to the tuna auctions by 5:30, walk around the market as long as you feel like, and then get a sushi breakfast. I strongly recommend Sushi Daiwa (寿司大和; their sign is only in Japanese); the wait is often over an hour on Saturday mornings, but other days you shouldn't have to wait too long. Daiwa will be the best $30 meal you've ever had.
  

• Tokyu Hands department store in Shibuya. Sells everything you never knew you needed. A cultural experience.

• Ameya-yokocho, a street market that runs along the train tracks south from Ueno station.

• Tonkatsu (deep fried pork cutlet) at Tonkatsu Tonki restaurant near Meguro station.

• Stay in a love hotel for a few hours. A number are located near Shibuya station, and near Ebisu station.

Trips from Tokyo

If you have more than a few days in Tokyo (or have been there before and done that), I definitely recommend taking a day trip out of the city.

• Climbing Mt. Fuji is an awesome way to spend two days if you're reasonably athletic and like the outdoors. The only concern is that the official climbing season is July 1–August 31. You can absolutely climb during the shoulder season (although huts and amenities are all closed). Will require a little bit of advance planning, but not too much.

• I love Kamakura, and it's a very easy (and inexpensive) day trip from Tokyo. Especially if you will not be traveling to Kyoto or Nara, cut a day from Tokyo to see tons of old temples and a daibutsu (giant Buddha statue). Hit Engaku-ji, Tokei-ji, the daibutsu, and especially Zeniarai Benten (among my favorite shrines in Japan).

Tokyo museums

For some reason, people don't generally think of going to museums in Tokyo. None of the “must-see” things in Tokyo are museums, with the exception of the Tokyo National Museum, which you shouldn't miss.

If you are interested in visiting museums, especially during an extended stay in Tokyo, you should really know about the “Tokyo Museum Grutt Pass.” The pass costs JPY 2000, and includes either free or discounted entry to 49 museums (again, in 2006) for two months. Given that admission charges are generally quite high, it is potentially an extremely good deal. The Grutt pass is available at the admission desk of any of the member museums. Below are my impressions of the museums I visited in June and July, 2006.

In particular, I highly recommend visiting the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno and the Mitsuo Aida Museum in Marunouchi.

Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography

Excellent temporary exhibition of the year's best (worldwide) photojournalism. Great pictures, excellent English commentary. Heartwrenching.

Meguro Museum of Art

Two temporary exhibitions, neither one worth much. One drawings and watercolors; mainly insects and flowers, although with some (terrible) fairies and (cool) children's book illustrations. The other an illustrator/graphic designer from the early-mid 20th century. Fairly opaque given lack of English explanation.

Mitsuo Aida Museum

Wonderful single-artist museum in the basement of the Tokyo International Forum. 20th century poetry and calligraphy. Good English explanations. A+.

Bridgestone Museum of Art

Decent temporary exhibition of one Japanese painter.

Matsuoka Museum of Art

Wonderful personal collection museum. Incredible South Asian art collection, interesting Chinese pottery, eclectic impressionist collection.

National Museum of Modern Art

Reasonably interesting, moderate-sized collection of 20th century art. Mainly paintings, with a few standout works. 80 Japanese, 20 foreign.

[Crafts Gallery, National Museum of Modern Art]

Wish they'd been a little clearer that the permanent collection is closed for nine months!

Okura Museum of Art

Very nice small collection of Japanese art (also a number of katana). Somewhat grimly housed. Several real standouts (including a few national treasures).

Sen-Oku Hakuko Kan Museum

Absolutely mind-numbing temporary exhibition of Tang dynasty Chinese mirrors. Avoid.

Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum

Striking early twentieth century art deco mansion with distinctive Japanese touches and a beautiful garden. Displayed objects much less interesting than the architecture of the house itself.

Institute for Nature Study, National Science Museum

Really a park, rather than a museum. Nice walking through a remarkably wild-feeling forest near Meguro station. Fun to imagine that Tokyo all used to be like this (the Musashino plain).

Shitamachi Museum

Just a few rooms of recreated street-front. You can enter the houses; we were guided by a very generous and welcoming “goodwill guide,” which meant we were compelled to stay much longer than we might otherwise have, but it is fun to poke around the houses a bit.

Tokyo National Museum

Tokyo's (Japan's?) must-see museum. The collection is amazing, comprising canonical Japanese art from the Jomon period (c. 10000 BC) to the early 20th century. Two floors in the main building: one organized chronologically, the other by art form. Don't miss the rooms of Japanese archeology in the adjoined Heiseikan building, or the beautifully housed Horyuji treasures.

Fukagawa Edo Museum

An amazing 20-30 minutes if you're in the neighborhood. A fully recreated Edo-era street scene; you can walk into all the buildings and pick everything up. Absolutely no English signage (including the signs telling you which areas are off limits). The roof opens to circle through day and night. Well done.

Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo

This was the modern art museum I'd hoped to find when visiting the “National Museum of Modern Art.” A beautifully displayed collection of latter-20th century art, mainly Japanese with a few western blockbuster pieces for reference (e.g., Warhol, Lichtenstein). Only a small fraction of the large collection is on display. Worth visiting!

Kyoto

More details on sites another time, but I have stayed several times (as have a variety of family and friends) at the lovely, central, and affordable Ryokan Kohro. Unfortunately, their English is not great, but you'll be fine as long as you get a reservation.

Nara

I've never stayed overnight in Nara, but done it as a day trip several times (principally from Kyoto). More on sites some other time, but good friends write:

“Finally, in Nara, we took a tour from the Nara Student Guides. If you do decide to go to Nara, we would highly recommend this. It's free, and the guide spends the entire day with you. You go to all the major sites, and they give you the historical context. You really get so much more out of the city. At the end of the tour, you take them out to lunch (or dinner), and it really makes the dining experience easier too.”

Other cities

Some other time.