Help, I'm off to Japan!

[Nightbow]

I and mah boi have been saving for a trip to Japan, and even though we have the funds now I can't honestly say I feel ready to go just yet. I mean, where do I start? We went to Greece last year, but other than that we don't have much travelling experience.
I don't even know what kind of hotel I want to go to. Sure, spending a week in a secluded traditional hotel with beautiful nature and hotsprings sounds nice, but I want to feel the pulse of Tokyo (even if the thought terrifies me).

I have some vague ideas of what I want to do and see - Shibuya crossing, Hachiko, buy toys, go to Nintendo store (if I can find one), sing karaoke, visit an arcade hall, go to Nara park...
But I certainly could use some advice.
Have you been to Japan? What do you find worth seeing? Is it easy to get around and how do you communicate with the people? 

[melodys_angel]

It will help if we knew which parts you would be staying in, or if youre going to do what my brother did and start at one end and work your way across.

Hotels arent your only option--there are very traditional hostas(?) that people also stay in.  They are like rental houses shared by a few people and is alot like what my brother did.  If youre intersted I can poke him for more details and the actual name

[Nightbow]

Ah, um, I'm sorry if I'm being too vague.  It's just that when we were at Rhodos, we stayed at an all-inclusive hotel and all in all everything around us was very tourist-friendly. So its easy feeling safe and finding your way when the entire area is made for tourists.
I'd love to live somewhere traditional - sleep in Japanese beds and bath in hotsprings with beautiful nature around - but I'm afraid such a place would be located too far away from Tokyo, which is our main goal. So maybe we should go for something more western, as long as it is a room for just the two of us. I'm not sure I could handle hunting down a new place to sleep every night.
It would be convenient to stay somewhere close to Shibuya station I guess, since I want to see Nara Park, and I'm guessing I'll find the best shopping in central Tokyo. Then again I have no idea where the airport is located!

I would love to hear some stories or tips in general about sights to see and places to go.

[kaoskat]

I have no clue but have fun on you trip and take lots of pics!

[Eviecorn]

If Tokyo intimidates you, may I suggest Osaka?  I stayed in Osaka for a few months once and I adored it.  Yes, it's still very large and busy, but nowhere near Tokyo, and it still has tons of things to do, both urban and historical (lots of shrines, and even a castle.)  While Tokyo is more like NYC, Osaka is comparable to Sydney or San Francisco. 

[Fortress]

I've been to Tokyo and thought it was absolutely wonderful! I totally wish I could go back. It was one of the best experiences in my life! ^^
If you don't want to spend too much money on food, there are "family restaurants" that serve Western food like spaghetti + hamburgers but also Japanese chicken variants and aren't very expensive. Try Googling Skylark and Royal Host for example. Don't forget to try Melon Soda, it's bright green and delicious! *0* If you perhaps like something healthier like apple juice, they call it "ringo juice".
It really helps if you speak Japanese or know some Japanese words as most Japanese people will not speak any English. It's not that they don't want to, but they can't. It could come in handy prepairing for that.
For toys and the like I would mostly suggest Akihabara and Ikebukuro. The latter has a Sanrio store and second hand stores that have toys. Akihabara has a Mandarake which sells second hand toys as well. There was another store there with toys, but I think they closed the building and unfortunately I don't know where they went. Most people skip Ikebukuro, but it's my personal favorite after Akihabara. It has a distinctive ambience that's a bit unlike what one would imagine of Tokyo. A little more quit and fun.
A friend of mine is going to Tokyo in about one and a half week. I promised to write down some restaurants and stores for her. If I don't forget I'll post it here as well. ^^ Most stores have a little map that shows where they are located in Tokyo, so if I can recall their names I can probably also find those maps.

[tulagirl]

Oh have fun. I have no ideas for you but I wish I was going.

[Elisto]

Hmm, I went to Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka for a class (only 2 weeks), and I don't know much Japanese, but met lots of people who spoke English, and didn't have a problem at all with language. Although I was with a few people who spoke Japanese, but I really didn't rely on them all that much at all.

Also, I stayed in a small traditional-style inn in Tokyo maybe 2 miles from Shibuya Station, which was really great, so they're in the cities, if not secluded, but the people who ran the one we stayed at did not speak any English at all. Some of the other guests did though. Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of the place.

As for food, my best suggestion is don't be afraid to just try whatever. A lot of menus have pictures, which is great if you can't read Japanese, and I had a lot of luck just pointing to something (even things without pictures) and seeing what I got. But I'll eat anything, so, yeah... Breakfast was had almost entirely from convenience stores (which are much nicer than the ones here in the US). Finding a place open for breakfast was difficult but a family friend who's Japanese tells us that when she's back visiting, she would get breakfast from the convenience stores too. And I honestly didn't find the restaurants all that expensive either.

There is a Pokemon store that I found in Osaka near a mall, Nara is great (see the deer and the giant Buddha! If you can't find it, just follow the crowds of school groups That's what we did when a few of us got lost). Other places...I did actually like a lot of the museums I went to (and I'm not a museum person), so I think those can very much be worth it. Himeji Castle was interesting too since you can walk through the whole place. Kyoto as a whole (or, what I saw of it) was very nice, and still has some old buildings that survived WWII, which you won't find in Tokyo. Oh, and I don't remember where it was exactly, but if you want to see something kind of campy but fun, the Ramen Museum is enjoyable if silly. And has ramen shops inside.

If you want hot springs, I had very limited experience with them, but apparently they were mostly full of elderly people Don't know if that's typical or just because of when we were there.

[Calico_Star]

Since this is your first trip, I'd visit Tokyo. There are other places in Japan that are absolutely lovely, but Tokyo has a lot of great things to see and it's a good place for a first visit because it has a little bit of everything

And here's a useful (hopefully unnecessary ) tip-- don't stand in the subway doors too long or they will close on you and you will be ridiculed by your peers for years to come Funniest mistake my mom made in Japan, although I don't think she's as amused by the memory as I am...

[Nightbow]

Thanks for all the comments and tips, everyone!
It's a lot to take in an has been very helpful and fun read, and I do apologize for not thanking you and replying to each individually. I can say this much - I don't feel as disheartened anymore.
The only problem now will be not to try to put the entire country in my suitcase and attempt to take it home with me.

[babylofty]

Before you book an airline ticket, plan your trip out. (I know that goes without saying.) Find out what you want to do - like if everything you want to do is in Tokyo, stay in Tokyo.  If you want to go see rice paddies, leave for the farmlands! I would suggest getting one or two travel guides to help you out as well, to give you an idea of what to see and do.

How well do you handle large crowds now? Are you ok in them, or you think you might have a panic attack when you're in one?  If you think you can handle it, I would say go to Tokyo. If not, skip it for Osaka, as others have suggested. I've heard the Tokyo subways can be very crowded, especially during the rush hours, so you may want to avoid them, unless you need to go somewhere half-way across town.

While I don't know much about traditional hotels or inns there, I know our hotel chains here are over there, so you can easily find a Marriott or something to stay in.

If you're planning to travel (especially north), find out what the travel routes are like right now.  While cleanup is progressing since the earthquake last year, there's still a lot left to be done.  You also don't want to head north into a clean up zone, and find out a) there's no place to stay b) there's nothing to do.

They are currently having massive flooding in the southwest region, so you may want to avoid that area all together.

Find out about a Rail Pass, especially if you're planning to leave Tokyo.

Learn some simple phrases in Japanese.  Hello, how are you, I would like, how much for this?, etc.  While most of Tokyo does have English signs and speakers, the rest of the country may not, and you don't want to find yourself wandering lost, looking for an inn, and no one speaks English!

ETA: Find out when the best time to go would be. Like, don't go during monsoon season, and do NOT go during Golden Week. The entire country shuts down during that week and you will be stuck in your hotel doing -nothing-.

Hope that helps!

[Capsule]

Oh~ I LOVE tokyo! I actually have most of my family in Japan, so I go every few years or so
I mostly have experience with Tokyo, But I have been to Nara and Okinawa also. But just some general tips for Japan are
1. Learn a few phrases, or bring a translation guide book
2. A map of the city and railways is your friend
3. MOST of the people are very friendly, but occasionally you might find older people who are still a bit bitter about the past and not like other races, especially if they are another asian race ( I did have a bit of a problem with this since I am part chinese) But the Japanese get pretty impressed and happy if you know even a few words, and again, most people there are just super nice!
4. one thing I learned, DO NOT SNEEZE, SNIFFLE, OR COUGH in public. It is considered rude. It isnt uncommon to see people with colds wearing mufflers or medical masks, either.
5. Don't put soy sauce on your rice, I dont know why, but apparently it is a thing that is only done in America and makes you look like a 'gaijin' and if you are to obvious then you are more open to pick pockets.
6. Check out small little stores. Those are my favorite! They usually sell novelty items such as cute socks, key chains, and post cards.
7. even if you are in the big city, there are still lots of mom and pop places with traditional tea ceremonies, and dining! These people are less likely to speak english, so be prepared. But these places are really cool! Some even give you a yukata and slippers to wear in the establishment.
I hope I was helpful, and if you have any questions just ask i can try to answer them!

[melodys_angel]

Ok, ill have to prod him a bit later--but I can say that 1) dont be intimidated--alot of people there do know the language, even with traditional type places/non western since, like a hotel, you are with other 'western' people more often then not and 2) that didnt hinder my brother, who was there for 3 months. He pertty much started at the south end and went all the way to the north. Didnt know too much Japanese but picked up on it quickly and made a few friends

[Nightbow]

4. one thing I learned, DO NOT SNEEZE, SNIFFLE, OR COUGH in public. It is considered rude. It isnt uncommon to see people with colds wearing mufflers or medical masks, either.

Oi, thanks for telling me that! I can see how in a community like that people would find such behaviour disgusting - whereas where I come from we don't really think about it.
That post really included some street smarts and customs that I'm glad you shared with me!

that didnt hinder my brother, who was there for 3 months.

Well that's reassuring!

[Elisto]

I agree with everything Capsule said! Even if you can't speak it well, there were times when it helped me to know what others were saying to me, even if I had trouble replying. Also, a helpful thing to note, from my experience, a lot of the subway trains in the cities I went to have announcements in both Japanese and English, which I was not at all expecting, but it was so helpful.

And do some research too, not just on where you want to go, but customs and expected social behaviors too (like Capsule said about coughing). It will help tremendously if you know things like when to take your shoes or even indoor slippers off (especially if you stay in a more traditional place), not sitting where ever if you're outside, etc. There are lots of travel sites with that kind of information, which, along with some basic phrases, I feel is a good idea to look into for any travel (I'm shocked how many people I've traveled with hadn't looked into that kind of cultural information before going somewhere, especially when I went to Japan)