I can't comment on the relative merits of starting or ending in Tokyo. All I know is on our first trip (JAX ---> NRT) we started in Tokyo. In all honesty - we were so dead by the time we arrived in Tokyo (late afternoon) that we couldn't have traveled another inch. We went to our hotel - had a light room service dinner - crashed - and hit the street early the next morning. Later in our trip we went to Osaka - and then Kyoto. And we took an early morning train back to Tokyo/NRT from Kyoto the day of our flight home (our flight left late in the afternoon). Worked out fine.

I guess one issue is where do you want to suffer the worst of your jet lag? Although - if you're not much into night life - that might not be a major consideration (you'll be waking up/getting sleepy very early).

Another issue might be the days of your trip. And if anything you especially want to see/do takes place/is open/closed on certain days/dates. FWIW - I think that with 11 days - I'd pretty much limit myself to 3 destinations in Japan. Robyn