At last my long awaited travelogue, decided to let the "asking questions thread" stay dead.
(actually took this on the flight out)
This is going to be a mix of blog, journal entry and travel advice detailing my recent journey in the land of the rising sun, so expect my usual mix of
BS, along with general insights on the situation around me. Disclaimer: Everything that follows is based on my personal experiences and perspective, in some cases I could be dead wrong. Do your own research and find out for yourself.
Let's start with a general impression, Japan is one of the more interesting places I've gotten to experience, in Tokyo, Japan's capital and most modern/business focused city the lingering traces of a long, proud history and extremely spiritual culture lingers just under a surface that has the beginning hallmarks of the arcologies of Mega City One, and various pieces if cyberpunk media. If you know me you know I'm not a city boy, NYC for example makes me feel cramped and claustrophobic, I did not however get that sensation in any Japanese city, not even in the most built up parts of Tokyo. This could be because breaks in the cityscape are everywhere, shrines, temples, parks, are all over the place and like the Japanese country side are absolutely gorgeous. I heard the term "god loves a green country" somewhere once upon a time, if that's true then Japan is a favored gem of the gods for certain. Whether you are in a park or on shrine grounds in the city or actually out in the country side life fills every possible corner it can, not surprising in and of itself, that is kinda what life does everywhere it can but as lush as Japan is it deserves special mention.
The mix of old and new are central to Japan and something you notice quite frequently if you really pay attention to your surroundings and the people around you. Japan is a bit of an oddity in the tech department too, while many things are ultra high tech (sliding doors, vending machines that talk to you, etc) but at the same time paperwork is still exclusively on paper, fax machines are still a thing, etc. It's pretty surprising at times. Cracked.com has a pretty good article on the subject if you want to know more. Side note, expect three prong plugged devices not to work in Japan, I haven't seen a single American style three prong outlet any where in the country. (Edit for honest: I finally found one while waiting for my flight home at Narita airport, it wasn't working.)
A few general notes for the traveler to Japan:
Communications are important for the traveler and in the modern age life without a cellphone can be literally maddening. If you aren't traveling with someone who lives in country like I was cellphone rentals are available at all the major airports, payphones are also literally everywhere and to be honest I had no reason to make a single call while in Japan. However you need to get a watch if you're ditching your phone like I was. Being able to check the time is vital when it comes to working with bus and train schedules and a lot if people don't even bother wearing watches any more, and why would you with a device in your pocket that keeps time to an atomic clock AND can let you look up stupid cat pictures on the internet?
Money matters:
Money in Japan is a cinch to handle at present for Americans, just move the decimal point around a little and it converts nicely. However when you're changing your currency from USD (or whatever) for the love of the goddess get coins! Vending machine fodder, subway or bus fare, having 1000¥ worth of coins on you at any given time will never steer you wrong, it is worth noting that 1¥ coins (aka yennies) are completely useless. Avoid getting them if you can.
For getting access to foreign funds in Japan, if your debit, credit or
ATM cards are part if the STAR or COOP networks, congrats you can draw cash from some Japanese
ATMs. Some hotels will also provide what is essentially cash back. You cannot rely on either of those nor can you expect your credit cards to work. Prepare accordingly and do your research.
Getting Around Japan
You gotta get somewhere to travel there right? Not to mention you need to be able to get around when you get there. First thing, don't fly into Narita airport if you're flying into Tokyo, it's 45 minutes to an hour out by bus or train and is generally an incredible pain accessibility wise.
Rail Travel: (Subway and Shinkansen)
The premiere way to get around the large metro areas and the best way to move around the nation, Japan has an extremely impressive mass transit system by rail in all it's major cities and even the small towns seem to have a station for going hither and yon when the need or desire strikes. Japanese rail travel will be an enlightening experience for those of us who have traveled on other large metro mass transit systems like Atlanta's MARTA, the D.C. metro, London's tube and of course the NYC subway system. First it is clean as all hell. To the point I had to question if garbage and graffiti exists at all. (they do, just not any where managed by the various public transit companies.) Second cars are usually very polite and everyone just does their own thing and leaves everyone else alone, which is a nice change from a "roaming evangelist" who needs to be converted to the use of soap talking your ear off for thirty minutes about the healing power of Christ like one of my more memorable MARTA rides.
With some exceptions or a little walking the rail systems in Japan can get you just about any where, there are some attractions in Tokyo that are a notable pain to get to like the Tokyo Skytree and others like Zenzo-ji temple and Tokyo Tower just require you to hoof it a couple blocks which can be a tad annoying but aren't outright inconvenient like the Skytree.
Now depending on where you're going while you're in country you might want to look into getting a JR rail pass. The JR rail pass is a general term for one of a variety of rail passes that Japan Rail offers tourists, these passes must be purchased in advance and cannot be bought in Japan, the all Japan pass I bought is a fantastic deal if you intend to do nationwide travel, it is an absolute must, I made my money back in Shinkansen (bullet train) tickets alone and got the rest back on JR trains in Tokyo, a word of warning though, JR's Tokyo Metro train network is fantastic, but in the other major cities I traveled to, Osaka and Kyoto, it's just shy of nonexistent. They are the best access point for two of my favorite stops on the trip though, Nara and Nikko. In general though trains in Japan are fairly easy to navigate once you get into the swing of things and most station masters or ticket agents can point you in the right direction. Speaking at least a little Japanese is enough to get you by here. "Soumimasen, ________________ wa doko
des ka" or translated "excuse me, where is____________?" Yes it is terrible Japanese and a very very rough way of finding the right train unless you're bullheaded like me and absolutely must figure it out yourself, but it will get you by, and people will figure out what you're trying to ask.
(new model shinkansen)
Remember as always in rail systems to mind the gap when boarding the train, almost saw a dude take what could have been a seriously painful fall because he wasn't paying attention and he'd probably been riding public transit trains since shortly after his birth. If it can happen to the well dressed Japanese business man because he's fiddling with his IPhone it can happen to you.
Bus travel:
I hear there are some awesome local and national bus tours available in Japan but I couldn't tell you. I was doing my own self guided tour. The public bus system in Japan is kinda brutal, and really unnecessary for tourists to mess with outside of Kyoto where it is the best way to get around the city and get to the various sights. (Kyoto offers convenient maps in English and a 500¥ day pass for their bus system, I wish we had known about before we were on our way back to the hotel.) If you're dead set on using the public bus system I strongly encourage you to speak more then a little Japanese, and to be able to read at least some kanji, we made it but we had to ask for help a lot.
Renting a car:
I didn't try it and wouldn't recommend it in the slightest. The Japanese drive on the wrong side of the road for one and their traffic laws seem to resemble the pirate code in that they are more guidelines then actual laws, again reading kanji is a must for this one even though a fair amount of road signs are in romanji (Japanese words in the romantic phonetic alphabet aka your saving grace if you don't read kanji like me.) If you must rent a car, god speed you mad bastard.
Walking:
Prepare yourself because your body isn't ready for this, my brother and I did a blitzkrieg tour of Japan and tried to cram in literally as much as we can, but even without our nigh suicidal pace at all the major cultural sites, especially most shrines and temples you are going to be walking a lot, I absolutely destroyed both my feet and the sandles I came in, and to compensate for the whole constant pain in my legs thing I breathed pure Advil and hate for a couple of the longer days. It is also a good idea to wear shoes that you can remove easily, as many temples in particular have areas that you must take your shoes off for. You can alleviate this some what by actually taking guided tours instead of being a stubborn idiot like me and getting lost constantly, my last full day in Japan when I went to Kamakura in particular was a rough day because of my stubbornness, a jacked up map provided by the tourist center that was about as accurate as a crayon drawing of the local area didn't help me either, detouring me a whole klick off course and taking my broken ass up a goddessdamn mountain trail.
Lingo:
You really need to speak at least a little Japanese to survive in Japan, I recommend the Pimsular language system, a copy of the book Survival Japanese and if at all possible you find a fluent speaker to tutor you and help you develop your own mini phrase book. If you have the time and aptitude (I don't) being able to read some kanji wouldn't go amiss either. It is easier to go with the assumption that you won't meet any Japanese who speak English, it was a very rare find in my two weeks here to find someone who spoke even a little English. One tip I received before my flight out was that police officers had to be able to speak some English as part of their job requirements. Ladies and gentlemen, myth busted. I stopped in several konban (police "boxes" aka small police stations) and was only able to get directions courtesy of my broken excuse for Japanese.
Food:
Chow in Japan is goddessdamn delicious. Any attempted heresy of this obvious and very tasty fact shall be met with immediate execution. That said cost wise it's about as expensive as you want to make it, and the cost goes up a bit in tourist areas. For those on a budget convenience stores have a variety of tasty meals and sandwiches available that are actually pretty damn good, better then what you're getting for five bucks in the states that's for sure, otherwise plan for roughly ten dollars a person, a meal and poke around accordingly.
One way to cheat and eat on the cheap is to make lunch your big meal of the day, most restaurants have a menu with reduced prices from 20-40% off what the dinner crowd is gonna pay. I also suggest bringing some power bars or something like them, it can be rough to find breakfast in general or even breakfast foods that appeal to the American palette, especially if you're on the go.
Warnings:
Japanese food is served HOT in country, not spicy hot, I mean scald your mouth temperature hot. Be wary if you don't want to be burned.
Picky eaters might want to reconsider their travel plans, the Japanese eat some weird stuff to Western eyes and open minds are required. The country is also about as gluten free friendly as a county fair bake sale hosted by Paula Dean and sponsored by Krispy Kreme. Noodles are part of almost every meal you can get, and if it's not noodles it's a bowl of rice. Breads and bread products are similarly prevalent.
On the plus side for calorie counters any chow you pick up prepackaged is clearly marked for it's caloric content. All that said I love Japanese food and had some incredible tuck while I was over there, however because we were on the go I did probably see the inside of ramen shops a little more then I wanted. Cravings as I return to the United States? I want a full on eggs, bacon, pancakes, oj breakfast, a large rare steak, pizza and a tall glass of hard cider. Not necessarily in that order. Also craving some Taco Bell but I'm blaming that on the beer I just had, intense sleep deprivation or both.
Speaking of booze the Japanese love the stuff, no open container laws and there is alcohol in the vending machines. Hell my hotel gave me a free pint of whiskey. I strongly recommend you try various plum alcohols and the local beers, it's all pretty good. Sake (which can be more properly called nihonshu) is very much an acquired taste but I encourage you to give it a shot if you get the chance, remember for the most part it's a sipping beverage like wine, you're supposed to enjoy it, not necessarily shoot it line it's dollar shot night at Cleetus's Down Home Buffet N' Roadhouse.
A special note about habu sake:
Ever hear of that Tequila with a scorpion corpse marinating in the booze? Ever wonder who had that bright idea first? Me too but apparently someone in Japan had a similar brain wave, habu sake is sake with a dead snake marinating in it, just gun the shot if someone offers you one, it's really not that terrible.
Japanese bars are like bars every where a mixed bag, expect to pay anywhere from 300¥ to 700¥ for a draft beer. Mixed drinks are again mixed bag. Some bars provide chamuu (charm service) which consists of anything from beer nuts to small finger foods, they come automatically but there is a charge for chamuu, so don't be shocked when it pops up on your tab. Honestly if you have a group already you can drink well on the cheap just by raiding the local 7-11 and heading to a nearby park. Side Note: Try a Chu Hai, they are pretty damn tasty as are the various "cocktail in a can" that you can purchase. A large can of beer, chu hai, etc will retail for around 300-400¥ on average which truly isn't at a terrible price especially when you consider the quantity you're receiving. I eventually stopped having a beer with meals because I just couldn't justify the cost difference to myself when I could walk out to a vending machine and get at least double the beer for 200-300¥ less.
The club scene is supposed to be good if that's your thing but go with friends, breaking into established social groups without at least an intro is hard most places but can be brutal in Japan even for Japanese.
Japanese pun time, the Japanese word for drunk is similar to the word for "tiger" keep that in mind if someone starts calling you a tiger at a bar. That said the guy who explained that too me didn't have the best English and was pretty drunk himself, and I haven't tried to fact check him on that so your mileage may vary. I did get a bottle of Tiger sake as my bring home bottle though, it is an awesome bottle and incredibly smooth and delicious, not sure what I'll be breaking it open for but it's gonna be a very special event.
Word of warning:
karaoke is stupid popular in Japan, I have no idea why because I personally consider karaoke a form of torture to make me think back fondly on some of my previous experiences with excruciating pain, but it's okay because karaoke is usually collocated with the opportunity to get massively drunk. (This doesn't stop the Japanese from doing it sober, but what can you do?) A good way to tell you need to cut off the booze? When you only speak English and you are trying to sing a song in Japanese. (I witnessed that, it was not me. I would need to be in new dimensions if drunk hitherto unknown to man to try something that stupid... I hope.)
Racism:
I actually got messages about this from friends while overseas asking if I'd seen or experienced it, well speaking for Adam and myself except for two old geezers who hated gaijin (rude term for foreigners) everyone was cool or at least politely distant. Which isn't something you should take personally, it's not like everyone relaxes and starts chatting the second you leave. That's just normal. All the Japanese I had conversations with like say my new friend Ms. Tomoko, were awesome. Other people may have had a rougher experience and those experiences are valid too, but for my part except for ojiisan making like an old grumpy redneck at a church picnic in the deep south everyone I dealt with was good in my book.
Tattoos:
I got warned I was going to get a lot of crap for my ink in Japan. Well all of my ink is covered so I had no issues, but it is worth remembering that it can be a problem, always ask before hand. I did get asked to not use a public bath house in Osaka but that was the only problem I ran into, if you want to hit the beach it is probably best to ask around if Irezumi are ok. In the Kobe region public display of tattoos are no gak illegal and from what I understand the Japanese cops give absolutely zero feths about what nation you are from. I get that it's
BS but consider it from the perspective of a culture where tattoos are inherently linked with gang violence and have been for CENTURIES. Hell I think in perspective it's shocking that the Japanese have lightened up so much on the subject.
Accommodations:
Expect close quarters, especially on a budget, some of the rooms I crashed in were more like closets. It's also worth noting that the Japanese are sensible people and therefore like firm mattresses and pillows as civilized human beings should. If you're a wimp and can't sleep with out a soft, fluffy, goose down cloud or some
BS like that you need to bring it yourself. Seriously though the bathrooms were freaking tiny, quite literally the size of closets. So walk delicately unless you want a stubbed toe or three. (As I am well known for my gracefulness some of you will be shocked to know I didn't manage to damage myself on assorted furniture in any of the tiny rooms.)
On a recommendation note I strongly recommend the Smile! chain of hotels, the staff was extremely efficient and competent, area maps in just about every language were made available to guests and the rates were fantastic. If that's an economy hotel in Japan then Hotel 8 needs to send some guys overseas and learn how it's done by the pros.
Only in Japan note:
Japanese hotels do operate a little differently then Western hotels do, instead of giving you your room key (which is usually an actual key) and you taking it with you when you go out, you drop your key off at the desk, and pick it up again when you return, this system, futons and melon flavored soda (dear Fanta, die in a fire for not exporting the glory of melon flavored soda to the States. Seriously, try it if you get the chance, I would have been main lining the stuff if I had had an IV kit handy) are the three Japanese things that I became an instant convert of, the perfect way to ensure your guests never lose their room keys. I do take issue with how rare WiFi is though, in room internet access seems to be completely non existent in Japanese hotels as far as I can tell, WiFi service is however usually available down in the hotel lobby.
On a touristy accommodation note you owe it to yourself to spend at LEAST one night but preferably two at a Japanese Ryokan, aka a traditional style Japanese Inn. Make sure it has an onsen (hot springs) too if at all possible. Sleeping on a Japanese futon in a tatami mat room is a very enjoyable experience and honestly for my back was a dream come true. Next move I make I'm ditching a bed for a futon. You might have to make your way out into the sticks a little bit to get to one but as gorgeous as the country side is, it's well worth the trip for some stellar accommodations.
Temple and Shrine visits:
A very popular tourism option for Japanese and foreign visitors a like I personally find visiting Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples very rewarding and enjoyable and I highly encourage the visitor to Japan to at least hit the major ones in your area even if you don't try to find the random small ones like my brother and I did, you do have to pay admission for some of the shrines and temples usually somewhere between 200¥ and 500¥ at a maximum. The ones that charge admission are relatively rare and they were all certainly worth the cost in my mind. Nara in particular has amazing temples and the extremely friendly sacred deer that live there love the visitors especially if you bring rice crackers, for which they will happily give you nuzzles in exchange. If you're having trouble finding temples then you honestly aren't looking hard enough, they're everywhere in Japan, especially in shrine towns like Nikko and Nara and super especially in Kyoto.
Shinto Shrines are marked on maps with a small stylized Tori gate, and Buddhist temples are marked with a swastika, this is is the swastika as it is used properly, long before the Nazis ever even heard of the symbol, it is probably worth discussing that fact with smaller children in advance, and researching yourself just for knowledge's sake on the actual origins of one of the most reviled symbols in the 20th and 21st centuries. It is also important to note that the marking on the map may not directly correlate to the actual location of the shrine, or temple in reality, it shouldn't be too hard to find though.
Some Shrine etiquette tips:
As you walk onto the grounds you should pass through a Tori gate, it's polite to bow here, even a slow bob of the head will do, then you will see the spring, a small fountain, usually open on four sides with some ladles, purify yourself here before proceeding, pick up the ladle with your right hand and pour water on your left hand, switch hands and repeat. If you want, after you've washed your hands you can pour some water from the ladle into your cupped left hand, and rinse your mouth, spit into the stones around the fountain, not into the fountain itself. Then rinse the ladle by taking up more water into it, then lifting the ladle till water runs from the cup down the handle. You are now ready to proceed.
If you want to make an offering walk to the sacred object and throw some coins into the offering box (however much you want, 10¥ should be fine if you're on a budget) bow twice, clap twice, pray silently and bow again.
You will also see a small area nearby where priests, priestesses, monks or rarely lay workers will be selling various charms for good luck and the like. An explanation for what does what can likely be given by the individual manning the booth if you're curious.
As you look through my photos, especially around shrines, temples and historical exhibits like the Imperial Treasure House in Yoyogi park, you will notice that interior shots are few and far between, this is because photography is outright banned in most of these places. So you'll just have to go see it for yourself. Something else you may note is that the Shinto Shrines and Buddhist Temples all look similar, when you go you will notice even more similarities and that Japanese worship regularly at both shrines and temples, in Japan the two faiths are inexorably linked. Not separate, but heavily intertwined as the central foundation of Japanese spiritual life.
City Guide
I'm going to do a brief run down on each town or city I visited complete with listings if sight seeing stuff I feel is not to be missed, this is extremely incomplete and biased to personal taste, but I'll provide some research resources at the end.
Tokyo: Mega City One
The largest and most populated metro area on Earth Tokyo really is Mega City One, just without the filth, lawlessness, and the incredibly bad ass Judge Dredd walking around dispensing justice one round at a time. Over 13 million human beings living and working together in the citadel of the new Japan, this is the seat of corporate, governmental, and of course Imperial power for the Island nation, accordingly the general attitude is a bit dour and serious, particularly on the trains as stressed out salarymen go from one work day to the next, the city is still quite lively and vibrant despite the slightly grim picture I just painted and is large enough I need to break it down by region instead of just doing an over view.
Chiyoda:
Low hanging fruit of the Star Wars joke tree aside (go ahead, get the Yoda jokes out of your system, we'll wait. Good? Excellent.) The Imperial district of the Japanese capital is absolutely gorgeous, Tokyo Station is a beautiful structure I had issues finding a good angle to take an exterior photo of, and the former Imperial palace grounds manage to combine aesthetic beauty and history in a very pleasing way. Nearby the national gardens make for an excellent walk and if you depart from the side of the park facing the former palace grounds you will come out near the controversial Yasukuni shrine, which functions as the main Japanese war memorial and is collocated with a military museum. I will not go into detail on the controversy surrounding the shrine I will say it's a beautiful place and that I'm glad we went, I can completely understand not going however. The old Imperial palace grounds are not to be missed however and you need to be ready to walk.
(walls of the old Imperial palace)
Shinjuku:
One of Tokyo's more famous districts in the global sense, the massive shopping district needs to be seen twice, once during the day and then again at night time there are some interesting contrasts and the color is incredible. Shinjuku is also home to the Harajuku sub district, which honesty I didn't get what all the fuss was about. Maybe it's because I'm about as fashion conscious as a man in a coma but I think it's more likely it just isn't my thing, more important however is Yoyogi park and the Meiji Shrine, which personal opinion is something you just cannot miss. The park is massive, lush and truly beautiful even before blooming season, you honestly forget you are in the middle if the largest city on earth in places. The Imperial tomb/shrine to Emperor Meiji is incredible, and the history you learn is excellent as well, the brief version us that Emperor Meiji is responsible for today's Japan, he modernized his nation while saving Japan's soul and culture. Go.
(Yoyogi Park)
Akibahara:
Ah Akiba, nerds and anime lovers alike rejoice for this is your holy land. Anime, electronics and other goods interspersed with maid cafes and porn stores. For the non nerd tourist there isn't much for you here so just skip to Asakusa, the next entry down. Okay the normals are gone so let's get down to business. Akiba is goddamn weird and awesome in a way only Japan can do both of those things, it is nigh impossible to describe, so go there, kill some coins in the arcades and drink Akiba in. Also go to a maid cafe, it's a bit pricey but it's a kind of weird and funny you just have to experience for yourself, go, relax and play along, if you let yourself get too up tight about it your brain will fracture.
Asakusa:
Now this is a great little district, a massive shopping district with lots of traditional Japanese items as well as a wide array of traditional tourist stuff intermixed with some awesome restaurants all laid out before the massive Senso Ji temple. Culture, shopping and grub, it's tourism perfection. The Tokyo Sky Tower is also nearby, I caught it during the one year anniversary so they were doing a cool lighting pattern but it's a pain to get to, don't feel bad if you skip it. If you happen to be going to Tokyo in May check your dates, the third weekend in May is Senso Ji's matsuri (shrine festival) it's a huge party and everyone's invited! Check for major matsuri during your travel planning and go if you can, it's a blast.
Minato:
This is another fun area to go to, Tokyo Tower, the Sky Tower's older and oranger brother is located here along with Zenzoji temple another beautiful temple in the middle of the metropolis that is well worth a visit. Fairly easy to find tasty chow in this area as well as nice hotels, it isn't super access friendly if you're taking JR rail every where, but the walks are extremely enjoyable and easy in my opinion. My brother and a couple nerdy friends of mine have required me to inform you that Minato Ku is the home town of Sailor Moon, and that they did a pretty awesome job of picking out details of the local area and putting them in the manga/anime. (This is true for a lot of Japanese anime set in Tokyo, and a lot of Japanese anime set in Japan is based on somewhere real)
(not a photoshop)
Roppongi:
I don't have much to say about this district except that I would honestly skip it, sure it's a famous night club district but Roppongi is way too far onto the wrong side if sketchy for my tastes. Tip: never go any where the dudes on the street tell you to go, ever. Just pretend to only speak German and keep walking and they will eventually buzz off.
Side trip that doesn't really fit any where else. Sengaku ji temple is very special to me and to the people if Japan. This is the sight where the forty seven ronin are buried, of the famous story The revenge of the Forty-seven Ronin I won't explain the story here but know depending on who you ask it is either one of the greatest examples of bushido, the warrior code of Japan, ever recorded or an example of failing that same code and that it is regularly referred to as Japan's national legend. I fall into the former category of the two listed and it was an honor to pay my respects to the spirits if the forty seven ronin.
Kyoto:
If Tokyo is the citadel of the new Japan then Kyoto, the former capital with it's hundreds if major shrines and temples is the guardian of the "old" Japan. I already noted area transit above but there's a ton to do here that I didn't make it to. Must sees: Fushimi Inari Taisha, head shrine to the goddess Inari this is another serious walk to take but well worth it. The Temple of the Golden Pagoda is also well worth seeing. Kyoto's castle has a high entry fee (600¥) but is also highly impressive, as us the Kyoto Imperial Palace, what us more impressive is actually arranging a tour, which is apparently possible to arrange with the Imperial Household Agency, look into that well in advance. The gino district, Kyoto's famous geisha district can also be fun to explore. The final note for Kyoto us that this is an excellent place to give staying in a ryokan a go.
(Fushimi Inari Taisha, the head shrine to the goddess Inari, in Kyoto)
(The Temple of the Golden Pagoda in Kyoto)
Osaka:
So with old and new covered where does that leave Japan's second city? Osaka is the blend of old and new and it's wonderful, while Osaka doesn't quite have all the tourist stuff if Kyoto and Tokyo, it's a very friendly, beautiful city. Osakajo (Osaka castle) is beautiful in it's dignity, and it's museum is incredible, especially if you're interested in the Sengoku period and the unification if Japan by certified badass Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Personally the museum didn't have near enough on one of my heroes and the man who taught Toyotomi the art if being an incredible bad ass Oda Nobunaga, but we can't have everything we want I suppose. Over all, Osaka has a great atmosphere and of the big cities it's the one I wish we'd had more time in.
(Osaka Castle)
Nara:
An easy access side trip from Kyoto Nara and it's beautiful shrines are well worth a visit, especially because they have one extra feature I don't think any other temples in Japan have. The previously mentioned Nara Deer (Sika Deer is the actual species) are small (by North American deer) that were until recently considered sacred, they are now considered national treasures and highly protected, but still live happily on the grounds and parks of the Nara temples. They're extremely friendly, especially if you purchase a stack of rice crackers for them (150¥ there are vendors all over the place) be warned you can get nipped or surrounded by an excited to see you group of deer... well excited to see your crackers any way)
(Nara deer in action)
Nikko:
Another Shrine town Nikko is a beautiful small town north of Tokyo, a little harder to get access to then Nara, but I really liked the Nikko area and enjoyed being out in the country side again, even if it was raining all day. I hear there are some great onsen in this area and if you do local area travel there's castles and other things in addition to the main shines in Nikko proper. This shrines in Nikko are a bit more expensive then most but you can get access to all the shrines for 1000¥ and I'd say they are well worth it, even if it's raining.
Kamakura:
Not much to say here except I hate their tourist maps, I got turned around and lost a lot, this is what I get for enjoying doing things myself instead of jumping on tour groups and the like. Kamakura is a nice little town though and it's an easy 45 minute train ride from Tokyo.
Over all Japan is an incredible trip and I regret that I didn't have more time to get out and experience more while I was there (and I literally shredded my sandals with what we did already!). This is a trip I've wanted to make for a very long time and it completely blew my expectations out of the water. I'm also happy to report that I am still completely addicted to sushi, so even spending half a month in Japan couldn't break my addiction to delicious and carefully prepared
raw fish, so I am now considering seeing an addiction specialist on the matter. Word to the wise, life's short, the world's large and you can only experience so much in life, so get out and do something or go somewhere while you still can.
Resources:
Japan Experience: The official source on Japanese tourism info and the source of the JR rail passes this is an excellent site for general trip planning as well as local area research and planning. It's efficently written and well laid out and contains information on home rentals, as well as actual tour packages if you're slightly saner then me and want a guide. (and are also a wimp)
Link:
http://www.japan-experience.com/
HinoMaple: Dru is a Canadian Expat living who's been living in Japan for a fair few years now and an excellent writer, I found his blog to be an awesome resource with a real man on the ground perspective, even if it's not quite as encyclopedic as Japan Experience. He does have a book coming out at some point and I'll happily vouch for it. I might even grab a copy myself.
Link:
http://www.hinomaple.com/ (click on the “blog” link)
1K Vostroyan Firstborn
2K Flylords
600 Pts Orks
3K Ad-Mech 
My wife only just convinced me to try sushi last nighth
