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Go to Kyoto for the history, go to Osaka for the food.
Lots of good info in that thread, from gaijin that live there.
Sheep posted:
Bring: clothes, shoes, at least one proper black suit, preferably a few extra suits and/or a blazer*, your favorite deodorant/antiperspirant combo, condoms**, a laptop?
Leave behind: everything else. Japan is the second largest economy in the world, and we have internet here.
There is one caveat: anything you buy here, from clothes (except Uniqlo) to electronics to computer poo poo to dog food will generally be anywhere from 50-100% more expensive than it is in America, even on things made in Japan. Thus, if you don't already have a laptop, I'd recommend buying one and bringing it over instead of paying the "being in Japan" charge for the exact same thing that just happens to cost twice as much.
* Clothes are hit or miss. If you're a big person (like 6' tall or so), most long sleeve shirts will not fit you well here, as the sleeves will probably be too short, as may the shoulders. This goes for stuff like the 6000 yen Uniqlo blazers as well, so, while you can definitely find stuff that will fit, it can be a bit of a chore. Thus I'd suggest you bring at least one blazer, or just have someone post it to you after you get here.
** Also it's possible to find condoms that won't cut off circulation, but it's just easier (and a poo poo ton cheaper) to buy a 48 pack of Trojans and throw them in your luggage. You'll save close to $50 doing that, as well.
If you're trying to figure out what style of clothes to take, go have a look at http://tokyofashion.com/. This is how everyone in the country dresses. Locals love to see white people dressing like this too, so you'll get lots of people smiling at and trying to talk to you.
2) Where should I go in Japan?
A: This depends on a number of factors, including: How long do you have? In which season are you visiting? What interests do you have in the country/culture, or in general? How much money do you want to spend? Do you want to move to different places or stay in one area?
The most basic recommendations that often come up for "I have X days in Japan and don’t know what to do at all" are: (suggestions welcome)
2 days/1 night: Go to Tokyo. You won’t scratch the surface of what it has to offer, but at least you can experience Shibuya, go shopping in Shinjuku, see the Imperial Palace, climb the Tokyo Tower and walk around Yokohama.
3 days/2 nights: Go to Tokyo. Add Meiji-jingu, Ginza and Tsukiji to the first point.
4 days/3 nights: Spend two nights in Tokyo and one in Nikko or Hakone. If the weather is likely to be bad, go to Nikko instead of Hakone.
7 days/6 nights: Split your time between Tokyo and Kyoto/Nara.
One to two weeks: Get a Japan Rail pass. Start in Tokyo and work your way west to Nagasaki, visiting the main centres along the way. Fly to Busan then home, or catch the train back to Narita and then fly out.
Two weeks or more: Why are you planning to come for two weeks if you have no idea what to do? Get a guidebook, cheapo.
Bring: clothes, shoes, at least one proper black suit, preferably a few extra suits and/or a blazer*, your favorite deodorant/antiperspirant combo, condoms**, a laptop?
Leave behind: everything else. Japan is the second largest economy in the world, and we have internet here.
There is one caveat: anything you buy here, from clothes (except Uniqlo) to electronics to computer poo poo to dog food will generally be anywhere from 50-100% more expensive than it is in America, even on things made in Japan. Thus, if you don't already have a laptop, I'd recommend buying one and bringing it over instead of paying the "being in Japan" charge for the exact same thing that just happens to cost twice as much.
* Clothes are hit or miss. If you're a big person (like 6' tall or so), most long sleeve shirts will not fit you well here, as the sleeves will probably be too short, as may the shoulders. This goes for stuff like the 6000 yen Uniqlo blazers as well, so, while you can definitely find stuff that will fit, it can be a bit of a chore. Thus I'd suggest you bring at least one blazer, or just have someone post it to you after you get here.
** Also it's possible to find condoms that won't cut off circulation, but it's just easier (and a poo poo ton cheaper) to buy a 48 pack of Trojans and throw them in your luggage. You'll save close to $50 doing that, as well.
If you're trying to figure out what style of clothes to take, go have a look at http://tokyofashion.com/. This is how everyone in the country dresses. Locals love to see white people dressing like this too, so you'll get lots of people smiling at and trying to talk to you.
2) Where should I go in Japan?
A: This depends on a number of factors, including: How long do you have? In which season are you visiting? What interests do you have in the country/culture, or in general? How much money do you want to spend? Do you want to move to different places or stay in one area?
The most basic recommendations that often come up for "I have X days in Japan and don’t know what to do at all" are: (suggestions welcome)
2 days/1 night: Go to Tokyo. You won’t scratch the surface of what it has to offer, but at least you can experience Shibuya, go shopping in Shinjuku, see the Imperial Palace, climb the Tokyo Tower and walk around Yokohama.
3 days/2 nights: Go to Tokyo. Add Meiji-jingu, Ginza and Tsukiji to the first point.
4 days/3 nights: Spend two nights in Tokyo and one in Nikko or Hakone. If the weather is likely to be bad, go to Nikko instead of Hakone.
7 days/6 nights: Split your time between Tokyo and Kyoto/Nara.
One to two weeks: Get a Japan Rail pass. Start in Tokyo and work your way west to Nagasaki, visiting the main centres along the way. Fly to Busan then home, or catch the train back to Narita and then fly out.
Two weeks or more: Why are you planning to come for two weeks if you have no idea what to do? Get a guidebook, cheapo.
Lots of good info in that thread, from gaijin that live there.
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