A Japan Rail Pass is not recommended unless you're traveling pretty far afield and your day trips are at least as far away as Kyoto. You can buy a debit card called PassNet (available from the ticket machines marked "SF" in any subway station in denominations up to 5000 yen), and it's good on both subway systems and all private rail lines in the Tokyo-Yokohama area and beyond. You don't save any money, but the convenience can't be beat, since the fare is automatically deducted as you pass through the turnstile, and the turnstile displays how much is left on the card.

For sights and activities, both the Lonely Planet and the Rough Guide city guidebooks are fine, and the Insight Guide to Tokyo will whet your appetite with its gorgeous photographs.

My favorite offbeat museum is the ....amachi (Shtah-mah-chee) Museum near Ueno Park. It's a hands-on museum of prewar Tokyo, with mockups of houses and stores furnished with actual period artifacts. That same day, you can go into Ueno Park, to the National Museum, which has rather old-fashioned displays of archeological finds and pre-modern art.

Most department stores have art galleries. Check the English-language press for dates, times, and topics. In fact, check the English-language press for all sorts of events, including festivals that might be going on during your trip.